The Love of Shadows
by CharmiaArkenstone
Summary: Follow the adventures of Eve Potter, the famous Harry Potter's unknown twin sister, and her struggles for friendship, loyalty, peace and love in her wartorn homelands, full of darkness and uncertainty. Along the way, her life becomes tangled with her brother's and with a Vampire's. Elf!Eve Vampire!Draco. Draco/OC Discontinued.
1. Chapter 1: The Fall of Hogwarts

"Harry! Harry!"

Harry looked up from where he lay crumpled on the ground, searching for the origin of his friend's voice, his entire body hurting from the blast that had sent dozens flying. He stumbled to his feet but he almost collapsed again and had to lean against a wall for support.

"Harry!" Hermione ran over to him, ducking spells that darted everywhere. "Are you all right?"

"I think so," Harry grunted. "We have to get the younger students out of here. They've got no chance."

"But how, Harry?"

"I don't know," the fifteen year old boy stopped and aimed his wand at a Death Eater who had his eyes set on them. "_Stupefy!"_

"Harry this is hopeless," Hermione cried. "How are we ever going to get everyone out?"

Harry thought for a moment. Hermione couldn't keep herself from shuffling with anxiety; they were open for attack.

"I've think I've got something," he said. "Get as many people as you can into the Great Hall. People are being Apparated to safety from there."

"Will it be enough to save everyone?" the bushy haired girl asked.

"I have no idea," Harry said, poking his head around the corner of the wall he leaned upon. "_Stupefy!"_ Another Death Eater was sent flying backwards. "But it's all we've got. Now, go!"

Hermione bolted, screaming at the top of her lungs to group at the hall. It didn't matter if the Death Eaters heard; the hall only had one way in and it was tightly guarded by some of the finest wizards and witches in the realm of Terrinian, all of whom were now defending the city of Hogwarts with their lives.

The students of Hogwarts School heard the Gryffindor yelling and followed her order, the older, more experienced students battling Death Eaters or helping the younger ones as they fled. Hermione followed the crowds to the Great Hall. Once it had been a place of gathering, laughter and happy memories, now, it was a mere shadow of what it was. As she ran for her life, the memories drummed in her head…

_Everybody knew of Voldemort's rise to power, fourteen years after his fall. And everybody knew Harry had tried his best to defeat him in their previous academic year (which was only four months ago), but Voldemort had the advantage and was stronger than Harry, though the boy did manage to cause some damage._

_The Order of the Phoenix massed and grouped together, however, so did Voldemort and his followers. All manner of monsters joined his leagues: wizards, witches, werewolves, dementors and more, but the worst of them all were the Vampires. They were the strongest, fastest and most deadly creature. It was nearly impossible for a Human to kill a Vampire. The main reason they were working for Voldemort was because he was offering them the prisoners of war for blood, a hunt and pleasure._

_The day of the attack of Hogwarts Castle had been just a normal October school day. Hermione, Harry and Ron began another day preparing for their O. when the air around them had exploded. No one knew how they'd managed to get in. All that mattered was that they had. The school descended into chaos. The younger students were taken to their dormitories while the older pupils engaged in the battle. Soon vital help arrived from the Order but it wasn't enough. Not nearly enough…_

Hermione burst wheezing into the Great Hall. Teachers and members of the Order were Apparating groups of students at a time to safety.

"Come on. In, in!" she shouted, using her arm to emphasise the desperate hurry. She watched everyone who came in, hoping to see her friends among them. She had not seen Ron for a while. Her stomach flipped and rolled in fear for one of her closest friends.

Suddenly, his younger sister, Ginny bolted through the doors.

"Ginny!" Hermione called. "Have you seen Ron?"

"Yes, he's coming," Ginny replied panting like a dog.

Despite the carnage going on around her, Hermione could not help but smile with relief.

More and more people poured into the Great Hall and then were Apparated to a safe place. Ron, Seamus and Neville all sprinted through the double doors, past the guards from the Order.

"Hermione," Ron gasped, "where's Harry?"

"I don't know," she answered, panicked. For a minute or two, no one came to the doors, and the corridors were near silent, meaning that probably everyone had made it to the Great Hall. Except for Harry.

"There he is," Neville cried.

He was right.

Harry ran for his life, faster than he'd ever run before. Death Eater and Vampire alike were on his trail. The guards at the doors targeted the Vampires with all the magic they had, allowing Harry some more time as there was no way he could ever outrun a Vampire.

The scruffy haired boy took a final bounding stride and leapt through the tall doors of the hall. "Am I the last one?"

"If there are any more, Mr Potter, we'll find them," one of the guards said. "But you must get yourselves out of here. Go quickly."

Harry just ran. He knew that if he thought about it he'd never be able to leave the men and women at the mercy of the Death Eaters and the Vampires. Severus Snape, the greasy haired, hooked nose Potions Master called to him, Ron and Hermione.

"Potter, Weasley, Granger! This way!"

The three of them bolted for their most hated teacher. They grasped his hands, and they were gone.

A hooded, cloaked figure swept like a shadow through the empty, broken corridors of Hogwarts Castle. His shoes were the only things that created noise as he moved. Everything else about him was silent, the perfect hunter. The knowledge that Harry Potter had escaped only minutes ago did not anger him as it would his master, in fact, he was rather glad. It meant the battle would last longer, meaning more fun and pleasure for him.

His master, Lord Voldemort, was waiting in the demolished Hogwarts courtyard for news of Harry Potter. "Ah, Alec, my friend," the Dark Lord opened his arms to the Vampire. "What news of the boy?"

Alec made no gesture to return Voldemort's, and spoke softly. "He is gone." He cast a quick glance to his Human lover, Damien.

The snake-like man froze in disbelief before lashing out and striking one of his own followers to their death with a horrible cry. Many of the Humans cowered away; Alec didn't move an inch.

"Find him. Find him," Voldemort commanded. "Do not rest until Harry Potter is found. Send the werewolves, the Dementors, the Vampires. Find the boy!"

His wishes were done immediately. Followers of the Dark Lord scattered across England in search of the Chosen One. Alec and Damien were sent to Cornwall. Damien asked around while Alec scouted the country. They then spent the night in an inn near Land's End. The hunt continued for days and days, everywhere in the country but Harry Potter wasn't found.

It was like he'd vanished off the map


	2. Chapter 2: An Introduction to the Elves

**A/N: Heres's chapter two, hope you all enjoy!**

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Snape landed in a forest, a beautiful forest. Snape glared down at the three fifth year students laying on the floor.

"Where are we?" Harry asked.

"In the kingdom of Aseridia," he answered. "This is the realm of the Elves. Professor Dumbledore arranged an alliance after the Dark Lord's return. We will be safe here."

"How do you know?" Harry scowled, partly because Snape had called Voldemort the 'Dark Lord'; only his followers called him that.

"Harry's right," Hermione interjected. "Our kingdoms are practically next door."

"A barrier has been placed between kingdoms, stopping the Dark Lord's forces coming through. It will be almost impossible for them to penetrate the defences," Snape explained bitterly.

"So what's going to happen?" Hermione asked.

"The Capyli have provided a temporary living arrangement. Accommodation and a school have been placed in an unused estate where Hogwarts' students will resume the studies while Hogwarts itself is reclaimed and rebuilt and is safe once more. Now, come. We head to Rivermoor." Snape began walking at a brisk pace. The three teenagers followed without choice.

"I don't get it," Ron muttered.

"Why? It's simple," Hermione began to explain. "The Elves kingdom is near ours. And Dumbledore formed an alliance with the Elves right after Who-Know-Who's return in case something like this happened. We're going to stay here until we can safely go back to Hogwarts. And, according to Snape, the Death Eaters can't get into Aseridia so we'll be safe here. See? It's simple." She smiled, pleased with herself.

Ron grunted his reply and kept walking. Harry stayed silent. What a terrible catastrophe this had turned out to be! He was trying to work out how he was ever going to defeat Voldemort. His forces were too strong and he had the advantage; he was more powerful and had magical creatures on his side, followers that would search high and low for him. Worse still, the Order of the Phoenix had been beaten back severely and after the battle would be scattered. What was he going to do?

Eve Potter lay back in the grass. It felt more like a soft blanket than spikey blades. They tickled her pointed, catlike ears, making them flicker and twitch every now and then. She closed her eyes and let the autumn sun cover her face in a gentle caress. Her legs were a little sore after a day's training, but she'd grown used to it; she'd began training at the age of seven years old. She remembered how a sword first felt heavy to her though now the weight was enough for her to notice but not enough to weigh her down.

If one saw Eve on the training ground, in the heat of combat, you would think her fearless, bold and confident. But when you actually met her you'd find she was almost the opposite as a person: she was shy, sweet and rather quiet, but she did gain more and more confidence the more she got to know you. Eve felt emotions strongly; she was empathetic, and she was proud of it. People who didn't feel weren't people. They were empty shells. Things like crying or being scared were not weakness.

People who held no fear were the ones to die first.

Eve was an easily startled person, like a doe, and did get scared by things; she was brave, not fearless. In fact, her title was Doe-Tigerhart. But if someone frightened her it wouldn't stop her from fighting back. Eve was a petite, slim girl of 5"3. She had smooth, soft, fairly pale skin, not quite a creamy milk colour. Her eyes were slanted like a cat's; dazzling emerald and framed with dark eyebrows and long, black eyelashes. Long, glossy hair, the colour of the night, flowed down to her waist.

Eve's eyes opened at the sound of bird song. Blinking in the sunshine, she squinted her eyes and looked for the bird. It was a blackbird. It sat perched on a tree on the edge of the woods. The corners of the Elf's mouth turned upwards in a smile.

"Eve!" called Belle Harker, her best friend and cousin, and also princess of the Elves.

Eve got to her feet and approached her. "Yeah?"

"You've got to come with me," Belle said. "You remember about the alliance with the wizards of Terrinian?"

Eve nodded whilst racking through her memories. "Yes."

"Well, their city Hogwarts was attacked by Lord Voldemort and the students of Hogwarts School have been sent here for safety," she explained as they started walking towards the village.

Eve inwardly groaned. Did that mean Rivermoor would be overrun with witches and wizards who had no idea how to behave in an Elven country? Would they be poking their noses around their weapons? Would they be snooping around the stables? Apparently her face was like an open book; Belle could tell exactly what she was thinking.

"They won't be here. They'll be in the Ivymere estate west of here. It's been kept empty in case of something like this," Belle told her.

"Well, I know that," Eve chimed in.

"I mean they will be able to come to the town but I'm sure rules will be set," she finished.

Belle was a very beautiful girl with long, wavy golden hair and sapphire blue eyes and stood at 5"3 ½. From a glance you could tell she was a noble though she never used being a princess to get her way with people, and she hated being called 'majesty' or 'highness'. Now, being Belle's cousin, it would be assumed that Eve was also of royal blood. She wasn't. Eve had been adopted by the King's younger sister, Chloe Rider. Chloe was the High General, the leader of the army and Eve was her successor. Eve knew she was adopted, and she had always known, but she was accepted as family through bond and life, not blood. Her name had always been 'Potter' not 'Rider'. Chloe had never made herself a replacement mother for Eve. She was her aunt instead. Therefore she was also a princess, but unlike Belle, one would not suspect her.

Belle had a fiery temper and was extremely loyal to Eve. Many found Belle intimidating because of her temper, except for Eve. Eve was not afraid in the slightest to challenge her cousin and her temper could prove to be just as fiery when she wanted.

The two fifteen year old girls walked briskly to the palace, which wasn't too grand, or uppity as Eve put it, but it was still beautiful. Belle led the way to the hall where her father, Asriel, Chloe and other members of the council were waiting.

"Good afternoon, Eve," Asriel greeted.

Eve nodded in return and took her place beside her aunt. The High General gave her a quick grin. The Riders, Harkers and the Potters had always been a close family. Chloe had told Eve she'd known her parents before they died.

Asriel began speaking about the Hogwarts crisis, explaining everything Eve already knew. She zoned out slightly, imagining what it would be like with the other students. She'd bring her mind back into focus every now and then to check if there was anything she didn't already know. She had just zoned out again when a she heard a remarkable name. Harry Potter. Harry _Potter._ What could this mean?

"Eve," Asriel said, assuming she'd been listening the whole way through, "Harry Potter is your brother, your twin brother."

"What?" the word fell from her mouth as her jaw dropped.

"I understand it must be a shock," the king said kindly.

Eve struggled to find her words. So many questions whirled around her head; she couldn't form a coherent sentence.

"You were separated after your parents were murdered by Lord Voldemort. Harry was taken to live with his aunt and uncle, you were sent to us. Nobody ever expected something to bring to the two of you together, but now Lord Voldemort has returned, stronger than before, you and your brother must unite to defeat him again," Asriel explained further.

Eve was no closer to forming a proper sentence; her mouth simply opened and closed in her attempts to speak. It was all too much for her. "May I be excused?" she managed to say.

"Of course," the king nodded. Eve spun on her heels and fled from the hall and to her guest room at the palace.

As the conversations resumed, Belle slipped away like an alley cat after her friend. She found Eve pacing in her room, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Eve, this'll be okay," she said.

"Will it?" Eve's head jerked up in frustration.

"Yes. It's not like you're going to be alone in this. You know I and the others will help you," Belle vowed.

Eve sat down on her bed and raked a hand through her hair. "I have a brother," she muttered.

The auburn haired girl wasn't sure how to respond.

"I mean I actually have a brother. Oh, god, I mean I knew about Voldemort but I never thought I'd have to help defeat him. Oh, fuck."

Belle gave a weak smile. "I – I don't know what to say, Eve."

"This could jeopardise my position," the emerald eyed girl sighed. "I've been training for eight years to become Chloe's heir."

"It doesn't have to be such a disaster, Eve," Belle said.

"That's easy for you to say," she huffed, her feet shuffling.

"Well, it's not like you _are _the High General. You won't be alone battling Voldemort, you'll have this Harry person, and you will have us," Belle said firmly.

Eve felt stiff with frustration; she wanted to throw something but told herself to calm down.

"I know it's infuriating and overwhelming but getting worked up about it won't help or change anything."

The dark haired Elf sighed, knowing that Belle was right. She could try and be positive about it, she supposed. Running her hand over her silky hair, Eve decided that she'd do what she could for the wizards but her clan, the Capyli, would come first.

Renn and Remmera, two Elf girls and both close friends of Eve and Belle, lingered in the stables. They'd finished training a while ago and decided to spend a little time with the horses. Renn's horse was palomino mare named Bonnie; Remmera's was a silvery grey stallion named Brenden; Eve's was a black, bold stallion named Leveran; Belle's was dun mare named Epona; and Tristan's (who was Remmera's cousin) was a bay mare named Iona.

Renn stood stroking Epona while Remmera stood with her own horse, softly stroking his muzzle. "Did you hear about what happened at Hogwarts?" Renn asked.

"Yes. I'm sure everyone did," Remmera said. "I'm not looking forward to having the students here."

"I knew you'd say that," Renn smiled, curling a strand of chocolate brown hair behind her ear. People often said Renn had some sort of gift; she could read people very easily and could work things out about them with the slightest shred of information, and she was usually right. She'd make an incredible detective.

"And I know Eve won't like it either," she added quietly.

Eve then entered as if on cue, with Belle following her. "Hey," Eve said.

"What's wrong with you?" Remmera asked.

"Er, it's quite complicated, but Belle and I need our horses. We're riding out to meet my-," she cut herself off and took a moment to find her voice again. "My brother."

"Your what?" Renn and Remmera said together. Their jaws dropped, making them look like goldfish.

"Her brother," Belle repeated.

"You don't have a brother," Remmera blurted out.

"It turns out I do. He's called Harry and we're riding out to meet him," Eve said, walking into the tack room next door to the stables to collect Leveran's saddle.

"I see," Renn said. "When did you find out?"

"Earlier today," Eve said as she came out with Leveran's black saddle. "And we have to reach him before dusk. Belle, you should get Epona tacked up."

Belle nodded and disappeared into the tack room. Eve heaved the heavy saddle onto Leveran, taking care to be gentle on his back. She threaded the girth through the straps of his numnah and tightened it. As she passed to get his bridle, she ran a hand down his neck in affection. Elves were always close with their horses.

Eve and Belle led their two steeds out of the stables once they had tacked them up and mounted. Side by side, they cantered to the palace where they were meeting King Asriel and Chloe. The four rode swiftly to the meeting point that had previously been arranged. Eve could see four figures in the near distance and cast a side wards glance to Belle, who looked back at her. They drew closer. Eve could almost instantly tell which one of them was Harry. He was fairly short with scruffy jet black hair and dazzling green eyes, just like hers.

Standing with him were three others; two of them looked his age, a boy and a girl, and another man who looked much older. The three teenagers stared at Eve, comparing her resemblance to Harry, other than her feline eyes, and pointed ears.

"My greetings, you must be Severus Snape," Chloe said formally. "I am Chloe Rider."

"Yes, I am," the man said coldly. The two young Elves took an instant disliking to him.

_Something's not right about him,_ Eve said to Belle through her mind.

_No,_ Belle agreed, _I don't like him._

Asriel dismounted off his dark bay mare, Lynfa, and went to Harry. "My name is Asriel; I am king of the Capyli tribe. I welcome you all to Aseridia. We should head swiftly back to Rivermoor before it gets dark," he turned back to the other three Elves, "Lower your horses. They cannot walk back there."

"Watch your tongue," Chloe hissed. "Do not assume that we would leave them to walk." She lowered her stallion, Gwaedanerth, so he was kneeling. Eve and Belle lowered their horses also.

Asriel ignored Chloe's comment and spoke to the girl. "If you would like to share a horse with Chloe," he then turned to the boy, "and if you would like to share with Belle, my daughter."

Belle nodded to the ginger haired boy. Asriel then turned to Harry. "And you may share a horse with Eve. Sir Snape, if you would accompany me."

The four wizards went to their chosen horses. It was easy enough for them to get on as the horses were kneeling on the ground. Eve felt awkward when Harry climbed on behind her, probably more awkward than him, knowing that they were actually twins. The four horses lifted themselves to their feet. Eve nudged Leveran's side and he began walking briskly. Harry instinctively gripped her.

"I'm Harry," he said nervously. "Harry Potter."

"Eve. Eve Potter," the Elf said plainly, just letting it out.

"W-What?" Harry stuttered. "That's impossible."

"I thought so too," Eve said, urging Leveran into a trot, and then a canter.

Belle brought Epona alongside Leveran. "Imagine what Renn and Remmera will make of this."

"Remmera will probably think the same as I," Eve replied.

Belle nodded her agreement. It was a short journey back to Rivermoor. The four horses came to a stop in the palace courtyard.

"Why are we here?" Eve heard the witch girl mutter.

"There is a little business to discuss before we can take you and your friends to your lodgings," Chloe told her.

The eight dismounted their horses and followed the Elf king into the hall. Standing among the Elves was an old man with a long, snowy beard and twinkling blue eyes behind half-moon spectacles. Eve's brow furrowed in confusion. Who was this?

"Dumbledore!" Harry gasped.

"Good evening, Harry," the old man smiled.

"What's going on? Eve said she's my sister," he said.

"Eve is correct," Dumbledore said.

Harry looked at Eve, his eyes rather wide.

"I only found out a few hours ago. It's just as much of a shock to me as it is to you," Eve said to him.

"If everyone would like to take a seat, I can explain what happened," Asriel said, gesturing for people to be seated. Eve took her usual seat next to Chloe and waited to hear the story again.

"You both know that your parents were murdered by Lord Voldemort fourteen years ago?" the king looked from one Potter to the other. "The two of you were separated because it was thought Eve would not be needed if Lord Voldemort returned. We were wrong. He has returned stronger than ever. Both of you shall be needed in order to defeat him. Eve, you have very strong magic that you must learn to harness. It could be a vital aid against Voldemort. This magic could even be used to protect yourself and others against death itself. You could survive a fatal stab or blow, the killing curse; you could survive them if you harness your power."

Eve could not help be very interested by this. To be able to protect herself and others from death. It was incredible!

"You must help each other defeat him and bring peace back to the Wizarding lands," Asriel finished. "Now, you've all had an exhausting day. You will be seen to your lodgings in Ivymere."

The next day, Eve went to Ivymere alone to properly introduce herself to her brother. He hadn't seemed like a nasty person and she didn't want him to think badly of her either. The estate of Ivymere had been changed quite a lot. There were lodgings for each year of students and a very large school, which they shared, in the centre of the small estate. Luckily the fifth year lodge was the closest to the border so Eve could walk there.

There were dozens of students hanging around the lodge; all of them cast at least one glance in her direction. Perhaps they'd heard the news. Eve stopped in her tracks, scanning for Harry.

"Who are you supposed to be?" a sneering voice said behind her.

Startled like a doe, Eve spun around to see three boys standing before her, all of them far taller and bigger than her. "Eve. Who are you?"

"I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy," the same boy said. The two boys behind him were both rather ugly and very much on the beefy side, and probably didn't have half a brain between them. The boy in the middle however was very handsome with blond hair and stormy grey eyes.

"What do you think you're doing here?" Malfoy asked rudely.

"That's none of your business. And I can go anywhere I please. This is my home," Eve hissed, more angry than nervous.

"So, you own this estate, do you?" he sneered sarcastically.

"No, my uncle does. He's the king," Eve turned and walked away.

What a bastard that boy was! How dare he? He was staying in the estate _they _had provided for him and the other students. Her fists clenched and unclenched at her sides as she walked. Suddenly she saw Harry and his two friends standing by a tree round the back of the lodge. Her nerves tingled as she approached them. The three of them saw her coming and took a few steps to meet her.

"Hello," Eve said shyly.

"Hi," said the witch. "I'm Hermione Granger."

"Hello, Eve," Harry said. "Uh, this is Ron," he gestured to the ginger haired wizard, who nodded at her.

"Um, how are you settling in?" Eve asked, unsure of what else to say.

"Fine. It's beautiful here," Harry said.

"It is," she agreed.

"Come and sit with us," Hermione offered kindly.

"Sure," Eve said, sitting under the tree with them. She leaned against the tree with her legs stretched out.

"Look, Eve, I know it can't have been easy to just have been told you've got to fight with me," Harry said. "I-,"

"I'm going to help you, you're my brother. I want to help you but if it comes to it, my clan will come first," she cut in.

"I understand that, and thank you," he said. "So, maybe you could tell us a bit about yourself and Rivermoor?"

"Oh, sure," Eve said. "Well, is there anything you particularly want to know?"

"What kinds of people live here?" Hermione asked eagerly.

"Mainly it's us Elves but in the forests there are centaurs, nymphs and spirits, and few Vampires but they leave us alone."

"How did you become an Elf?" the young witch asked, now slightly confused.

"Well, I've lived here for fourteen years," Eve said. "If you stay in an Elven environment, act like an Elf, learn the Elven ways, you will become an Elf. An Elf is just another breed of Human, like Poodle and Labrador are two different breeds of dog."

"Do Elves have different magic to wizards?" Harry inquired.

"Yes, but we do learn the same magic you learn if we want to."

"What powers does an Elf have?"

"Er, well, we each have control over one of the four elements but if we're strong enough we can control two. I think Earth is the most common and Fire is the rarest. My element is Earth. And, um, we can communicate through our minds and also use them for a mind attack."

"Could you go into my mind now?" Hermione asked nervously.

"I could, but I wouldn't. That would be rude and unfair," the young Elf reassured her.

"Can you do anything else?" Harry said.

"We're a little faster than your breed of Human and we can run for a really long time, all day if we have to and we can hold our breath for a lot longer than normal. Our hearing is a tiny bit sharper and we can see in the dark. Um," Eve paused to think of anything else. "Oh, and our nails are really strong, which is kind of odd."

"It's amazing though," Hermione said, impressed.

"Other than that, we're pretty much the same as you."

"You do sword fighting, don't you?" said Ron.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"That's pretty cool," he approved.

"Yeah, I guess it is."

There was a silence between them for a moment.

"Eve?" said Hermione.

"Hmm?"

"Is it true what the king said about you being able to protect yourself from death?"

"It must be. Why otherwise would he tell me? I mean I had no idea I could do it. I can even protect other people. The only thing is I don't know how to," Eve said. "I'll have to find a way to control it and use it."

Alec peered through the bowing branches of a tree on the very edge of the woods, his body poised in a hunting crouch. A sly fanged grin was etched upon his handsome face. Not only had he found Harry Potter but his little sister as well, furthermore, he'd just heard every single word of their conversation. So this little Human had the power to protect herself or another against death. The Dark Lord would be pleased.

Alec focused on the girl. She was indeed a beauty and she smelled divine. He could also smell the magic on her; it was very strong but untrained. A sudden thought entered his brain. What if her powers could be used for the Dark Lord? Alec stopped himself, reminding himself that it would be a better idea to go to his master first before doing anything himself.

Having seen enough, the Vampire turned and took off deep into the forest, tracking the scent of his beloved Damien. He found his Mate in the Inn they were staying at. Damien lay on his bed, his hands behind his head. The Human jumped at Alec's sudden arrival. Alec smiled, glad that he could still make his Human startle. Vampires were naturally possessive and dominating creatures but could also be very loving and affectionate.

"I have good news, my love," Alec said.

"What is it?" Damien sat up. "Did you find the boy?"

Alec nodded. "And someone else too."

"Who?"

"His sister."

"Potter has a sister?" Damien got to his feet.

"Indeed he does. She is an Elf, and she has powerful magic. The Dark Lord could use her," a wicked gleam lit up in the Vampire's eyes.

"We must tell him," Damien cried.

"Hush, my little love," Alec purred. "We'll leave in the morning. I'd like to have some fun with you now, my sweet plaything."

Damien gulped in a mixture of excitement and terror.

**A/N: So do we like? Reviews would be fantastic!**

**Love and hugs xxx**


	3. Chapter 3: Fear of Fangs

It was fairly cold for a day in October. Eve had a day off from training so decided to find Harry. There were still a great many things she wanted to talk to him about. After some time of searching, she found him in the library of his temporary school.

"Hey," she said, taking off her coat.

"Hi," he replied, startled by her sudden appearance.

"Mind if I sit?" she asked.

"No, not at all," he gestured to the seat adjacent to him.

Eve hung her coat over the back of the chair and sat down. "I need to know about Voldemort, Harry."

Harry perfectly understood what she meant but wasn't quite sure where to begin. His mouth opened though couldn't find his words.

"Start with how and when he came back," Eve prompted.

"It happened a few months ago. There was something called the Triwizard Tournament going on - it was like a competition between three schools - somehow I got chosen, but anyway, in the last task me and a boy named Cedric Diggory both touched the Triwizard cup at the same time. But it was actually a portkey," Harry said.

"What's a portkey?" Eve asked.

"It transports you to places. The cup took us to a grave yard. Cedric," Harry felt a lump in his throat. "Cedric… was killed by one of Voldemort's followers."

"I'm sorry," Eve said sympathetically. She knew what it was like to lose someone.

"Yeah. And then, they needed my blood to help bring Voldemort back. And now we're linked somehow, maybe because we now share blood, I have no idea. Have you felt anything? Like an invasion of your mind?" Harry asked.

"No," the girl shook her head. "Then what happened?"

"Voldemort gathered his army and attacked Hogwarts castle to try and kill me. We fled here and you know the rest," he said. "He's so much stronger now. I know I could never do this alone."

"I'm going help you Harry," she said boldly. "You are my brother after all. Does Voldemort even know about me?"

"I suppose he must; we were both there when he killed our parents. He's never mentioned you though," Harry told her.

"Maybe he's forgotten about me or thinks I'm dead or something," Eve suggested.

"Maybe," Harry shrugged.

"What's happened to Hogwarts School?" she asked after a moment's silence.

"It's pretty much been destroyed. Members of the Order are still fighting there but the Death Eaters have begun attacking the rest of the city."

"That's horrible. What if some of our troops could help?"

"I don't know. I don't want anyone else to get hurt or die for me," Harry said sadly.

"Harry," Eve said seriously, "this is a war. People are going to die and get hurt."

"They shouldn't for me."

"This is bigger than you, Harry. Voldemort wants control; you're just something standing in his way. Of course, you don't want people to die for you but this is not just your war."

"It's not the Elves' war either," Harry retorted. "You don't know how powerful he is. He could start attacking your people too and I hear you're already at war."

This was true. The Capyli clan had been at war with another clan of creatures called Itlinas called the Durzians. Itlinas were another breed of Human, like the Elves.

"I suppose," Eve sighed. "But then again, I am an Elf and I'm successor to the leader of our army. He may start attacking us anyway."

"Don't risk it, Eve," Harry advised her.

"No, you're right," she realised it was a stupid idea. She just wished that she could help somehow.

She'd experienced battles and fights from a young age. She'd never been part of them but she'd witnessed them. When she was twelve, the Durzians led a raid on Rivermoor. Benzan had only been two and Eve had had to carry him into the underground caves with Belle and a few of the other Elf children. By that age, she could cope with the sight of someone being killed, although she didn't like it.

Her first memory of murder was when she was five years old. On that occasion, assassins had got into the palace and slaughtered the guards right in front of her. A little shiver ran through her at the recollection.

November had arrived with an army of dark grey clouds on its tail. Eve's friends took a liking to Harry, Ron and Hermione which Eve was very glad for, though they rarely hung out together. The wizards and the Elves stayed with their own kind most of the time. Eve had begun her lessons to train her magic with her uncle Thiazzi Harker, but so far hadn't gained much control over it.

One afternoon, she sat by the river that created part of the border between Rivermoor and Ivymere, wrapped up warm. Her eyes were fixed on the flowing water.

"Well, well, look who it is," came the voice of Malfoy.

Eve's face contorted in a groan as she looked around. When she saw he was alone, she relaxed a little. "Yes?"

"You're quite the little liar, you know, Potter," he said with a smug smile, holding himself proudly like _he _owned the place.

"You found Harry was my brother then?" she said, not bothered. "And before you open your mouth again, let me tell you that the king is still my uncle even if we're not blood related. I have had a life here for fourteen years."

Malfoy looked speechless for a moment. Then, he sat down not far away from her, making her feel nervous.

"You're not used to being overshadowed are you?" he said coolly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she spat.

"You realise whichever way this heads your saint brother will still receive all the glory. Even if you are the one to defeat You-Know-Who, which I don't think you will."

"Why? You know nothing about me. And Harry can have all the glory. I don't want it. I've got enough battles here," she sighed.

"Go on," Malfoy said after moment of silence.

"There's this clan of Itlinas, they're this other breed of Human like us, called the Durzians. We've been at war with each other for almost three centuries. It's complicated but I've been training to lead the army since I was seven and my people are more important to me than fighting this Lord Voldemort."

"Are you not going to help Potter?"

"I am, but my clan will always come first."

"Well, I respect you for that," Malfoy said sincerely.

"Do you?" the Elf tilted her head.

"Yes. You're not going to tag along behind Saint Potter doing everything he tells you because he's so bloody special," Malfoy spat with vehemence.

"You're jealous," Eve concluded.

"You wish," the blond huffed.

Later that evening Eve and Remmera's cousin, Tristan, were grooming the horses in the stables. Tristan and Remmera didn't share much resemblance. Remmera had long, flowing sandy blonde hair with very pale eyes while Tristan had very dark brown hair and dark green eyes. Tristan was very handsome and Eve knew that Renn had a bit of a thing for him.

"You seem quiet," Tristan said.

"Am I?" Eve raised her head.

"Yeah. Anything you wanna tell me?" he dipped out of sight to groom Iona's legs.

"There's nothing that you don't already know, but thanks," she declined politely. Her thoughts had lingered on Malfoy slightly. The first day she met him she despised him but earlier that day he'd been begun to be almost civil (towards the end of their short conversation), and she wondered what he was really like. Was the bully appearance just a façade?

Leveran nudged her as she walked around him to groom his other side. She patted his neck in return and began brushing his fur.

"How's your training going?" Tristan asked.

"Which training?" she asked, sounding more stupid than she would have liked.

"Your training with Thiazzi," he rephrased.

"Not as well as I'd hoped. My uncle's been trying to get me to find ways to release the magic. So far it's been emotion or painfully deep concentration but he wants me to be able to summon it on my own command so that's my ultimate aim," she explained.

"Which emotion works best?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. I think it's anger or frustration."

"How can you be unsure?"

"You know how when you focus your mind so deeply, you go into this trance?" Eve said.

"Yeah," Tristan said, remembering when that used to happen to him when he was learning to use his mind powers. "I thought it only happened when your mind was inexperienced."

"My mind is inexperienced in this field. I've never done anything quite like it before," the girl defended herself.

"That's fair enough. I just hope for your sake that you master it as soon as possible."

They finished the grooming in silence and returned to their homes with a simple farewell. Eve wrapped her arms around her torso as she walked through the dark, quiet streets of the village; the cold tingling all over her small form, sending unpleasant shivers crawling up her spine.

The lights were shining brightly through the windows of the cottage she, Chloe and her two sons lived. Reaching out with a trembling hand, Eve lifted the latch to the front and pushed the door open enough for her to slip inside. On the click of the door shutting, Chloe's oldest son, Benzan, threw himself at her. With a smile on her face, Eve knelt down and hugged him tightly; she wasn't strong enough to pick him up anymore.

"Hey, you," she laughed softly and placed a gentle kiss on the five year old's forehead.

Just then Chloe came down the stairs, carrying her other son, Zachary, in her arms. "There you are. You almost missed dinner," she said.

Zachary reached out with his chubby arms towards the dark haired Elf. "Eva," he whined.

"Aw, someone looks tired," Eve pouted her lips as she took the two year old from her aunt. He nodded sleepily but didn't seem to want to leave her arms.

Eve sat down on the plush sofa with her cousin sat in her lap and gazed at the dancing fire while Chloe finished making their supper. Eve helped her put the two boys to bed before they sat down to dinner.

"How was your day?" Chloe asked.

"Normal," Eve shrugged. "I talked with this Malfoy boy."

"Malfoy?" the older Elf repeated with her eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, why?" Eve tilted her head slightly.

"I know that name. The Malfoy family were always supporters of Lord Voldemort," Chloe told her.

"But he's fifteen. He can't be a Death Eater at that age," she said.

"He's probably not a Death Eater but he could still be involved, if his family are. They claimed to be neutral after his downfall but I don't buy it."

"Are you sure that they still are? Things could have changed," Eve suggested, not liking the idea of Malfoy being involved with Voldemort.

"But, anyway," Chloe said quickly, "let's talk about something else."

What they didn't know was that Draco Malfoy _was_ involved in Voldemort's plan, he just didn't know it.

The next day dawned cold and painted with grey clouds. Eve was reluctant to leave her warm, cosy bed but she had another lesson with her uncle. Groaning inwardly, she sat up and heaved herself out of bed. She checked her clock and concluded she had plenty of time for a shower before she had to meet him.

Dressed in some everyday clothes, Eve went downstairs to get herself some breakfast before she left. When she got to the kitchen, she found Chloe reading to both her sons and smiled to herself as she began making her breakfast.

"Morning," Chloe said.

"Morning," Eve replied. She fixed herself a couple of fried eggs on toast before saying goodbye to her aunt and cousins and leaving for the meadow, where Thiazzi held her lessons.

She was sure to bring her warmest jacket so the cold wouldn't distract her. Thiazzi was sat in the meadow, his back to her. He did nothing as she approached; she knew he knew she was there though.

"Sit and prepare your mind," he said, not moving a muscle.

Eve did as she was told. She got herself comfortable, lowered her head and closed her eyes. She focused on connecting her mind with everything around her, feeling the presence of life in her surroundings, but not yet opening her mind for communication. The sensing exercise allowed her to know everything around her like she could see.

She now opened her mind, ready to mentally talk. Although her mind was open, only her chosen thoughts could be heard by others. Her mind defences were strong and prepared, still open for harmless communication but ready to block any kinds of attacks.

"Good," she faintly heard her uncle's voice.

_How loudly did you hear that?_ he asked.

_Not very_, she replied.

_That's another thing we'll have to work on in future_, he told her.

When one became well trained enough in the mind, they could focus perfectly on the mental world (communicating, attacking and defending) and the physical world at the same time. Eve could only do one or the other perfectly but she was learning how to do both. It was a great aid in fighting, something she would certainly need in future.

_What emotion is working best for you to find your magic? _Thiazzi asked.

_I'm sure it's anger or just a strong emotion, _Eve answered.

_Try what you normally do. And remember, it's a mixture of talking to it and fighting it if you aim to control it, _he reminded her.

Eve racked through her brains and focused on the memories that made her angry or upset. It did the trick. Powerful magic bubbled inside her in a place she couldn't pinpoint. It was nowhere but it was everywhere at the same time.

As she had been told, Eve spoke to it, softly telling it to calm down. She could feel it fighting inside her. It did not want to be tamed. She couldn't prevent it overpowering her but she could hold it off for much longer than she first could. In the end, as expected, the power overwhelmed her. Her body began trembling, the magic locked within aching to burst. Her mind blurred. Thiazzi knew her magic had reached the point of no return.

He joined his mind with hers. _Away!_ he cried, successfully weakening her frenzied magic back into a slumber. He opened his eyes, seeing his niece crumpled on the floor. Crouching down by her side, he helped her get back into a sitting position.

"I don't like this," Eve wiped her forehead.

"If an emotion can cause the magic to unlock itself then maybe another emotion could lock it away again," Thiazzi mused. "You have no hope of controlling it if you cannot even push it away and stop yourself almost exploding with magic."

The girl nodded. She closed her eyes and prepared her mind again.

_Does happiness work? Fear? _Thiazzi asked.

_Let me try._

Eve thought of the same memories. The magic began sparking deep within her core again, swirling and getting stronger by the second. Thiazzi could feel it through the connection they had in their minds.

_Think of something that frightens you, _he said.

_If fear boosts it I know I won't be able to even try to control it,_ she protested.

_If that is the case I'll help you again, _her uncle reassured her.

She tried to think of what she was scared of, which was a little odd because quite a few things frightened her. But what really terrified her? Losing her loved ones? Werewolves? Vampires? Vampires. That was it.

The way they toyed with their prey, taunting them in the dark and the shadows before striking in the blink of an eye. Their power, strength and speed was unmatched by any other creature. They could crush a Human with a flick of their little finger if they wanted to; they could charm a Human right to their deaths; they could make the boldest, most fearless man on earth quiver at their feet from just a growl or glance.

Eve was not the only Elf afraid of Vampires. Belle, Remmera and Renn were all frightened of Vampires too but the Vampires in the forest kept to themselves so they never really thought about them.

Just the thought of Vampires made her a little nervous. But, remarkably, it seemed to scare her magic too.

_Good, that's good, _Thiazzi said. _Now try talking to it. _

Eve did so. The added aid of the fear helped her greatly in settling the untamed magic until it was merely the dying embers of the inferno of what it used to be. It was almost like her magic was another person. It could understand her and listen to her.

_It's okay,_ she whispered to it. And it listened.

Thiazzi smiled to himself. She was one step closer to gaining control.

It had taken more time than Alec and Damien had hoped to find their way back into the Elven kingdom. There were so many protective barriers that it was nearly impossible to find their way back in. It was easy for someone to leave but extremely difficult to get back in, unless you knew _exactly_ how to get back.

Alec was a very big man, like all male Vampires, standing at 6"6 and was coated in bulging muscles that flexed and rippled with each step he took, but despite his bulk he could easily move with the silence and stealth of a ghost. Damien stood at a smaller height of 6"1 and was leaner than his Guardian, though still toned and strong.

Alec could easily carry Damien; he weighed nothing to him at all. The Vampire held his Human close to his strong torso as he ran through the forests of Aseridia on his way back to Rivermoor. Damien had come to trust Alec completely when he ran at such an incredible speed; he used to be frightened that they would hit something but he now knew better than to doubt Alec.

To Damien, the trees were a blur, gone in a split second. Just a haze of every shade of green. He was certain they were in Aseridia because the forests remained green like it was spring all year round. But to Alec, everything was as intricate and detailed as if he had been standing still. Any movements made by the forest were like slow motion to him. He could dodge trees with complete ease, as easily as if he were taking a leisurely stroll.

Alec came to a sudden stop, his tight hold on Damien preventing him from being jerked around. "We're very close now," he said as he lowered the Human to the ground and began walking.

Damien knew to stay close to the dominant Vampire and to let him walk slightly in front. They walked to the edge of the woods with the fifth year lodge in sight.

"Bring me the boy first, and then the girl," Alec ordered. "Go, and do not fail."

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Some reviews would be much appreciated thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Cold Stranger

**Enjoy everyone!**

Getting the Malfoy boy was easy enough. All Damien had to do was claim that a letter from the boy's father had just arrived and now he was 'safe' in the possession of Alec. It was time to get the girl. Luckily for Damien, as he strolled across the grass, no one recognised him. The girl was harder to find than Malfoy; he had to ask around a little before he found her. She was doing archery with three other girls. He paused for a moment to watch before he pulled on the disguise of the innocent, pleasant teacher.

"Excuse me," he said with a mask of politeness.

"Yes?" Eve turned away from her archery practice.

"Am I correct in thinking that you are Eve Potter?" he asked.

"Yeah," the girl lowered her bow completely.

"I need you to come with me."

"Why?" he could see suspicion written across her face.

"Professor Dumbledore sent me," Damien lied smoothly. "He says there are a couple of things he needs to speak with you and your brother about. Please, follow me."

"One moment," Eve agreed without a moment's thought. She walked over to Belle, who had been watching like a hawk ever since the stranger had arrived, and handed the princess her bow and quiver. "Would you take this? I'll be back."

Belle nodded and watched her walk away the man.

Eve began to regret her decision to follow the stranger. Something wasn't quite right about him. She walked timidly behind him, waiting for him to change his direction so they were headed towards the teacher's lodge, but they never did.

Eve slowed her pace considerably, quickly creating a distance between them. Damien stopped and ground his teeth. Just a bit further. Why did she have to stop now? He plastered his most convincing smile onto his face as he turned to face the adolescent.

"Come on. We're not quite there yet."

"Dumbledore's office is back there," Eve turned her upper body to gesture the direction they should have gone in.

"I know," Damien's smile became dark and twisted. "But we're not going to Dumbledore's office. We're going somewhere much better."

"I think I should go back," she didn't even wait for a reply; she turned around and started walking very quickly.

Suddenly she felt an excruciating pain in her head as the stranger's mind gripped hers in a vice like grip. So focused on getting away, she hadn't been keeping her defences strong enough, but even if she had, she wouldn't have been able to deflect him. His will power was very strong, too strong for her to block.

Eve fell to her knees, her mind screaming, her vision blurring. Summoning what little power she had left, she hurled it back at him in an attempt to lessen the inferno of pain that engulfed her. She clutched her temples. Her mouth opened to cry for him to stop but her voice was gone.

The stranger crouched down in front of her, and spoke very softly, "I shall release you if you agree to come with me."

Thinking only of the pain, Eve nodded and she was released as he had promised. The girl let out a shuddering breath.

"Who are you?" she gasped.

"You need not worry about that. Now, follow me," he hissed.

Eve got to her feet and followed him silently, regaining her energy so she could call for help through her mind. They were in the forest now. Eve looked around. It seemed… different. The trees were hung over, like they were sad, creating an eerie darkness as they blocked out the daylight. And then the trees weren't sad anymore. They were sinister almost. Their branches became stiff and more pointed like the tips of swords.

"What do you want with me?" Eve asked, fear showing in her voice.

"We're going to see a little friend of yours," Damien answered.

"Who?"

Suddenly an anguished cry tore through the air. The cry of a male. One that she recognised.

"Know a little boy called Malfoy?"

"Malfoy!" Eve yelled, running in the direction the sound came from.

Damien bolted after her, just managing to seize her arm and haul her back towards him. In retaliation, Eve struggled like a wild animal and hurled a mind attack at him. It was useless. His mind defences were far more powerful than hers; he just flicked it away.

"Good try, but my master has made me strong," her captor growled, chuckling.

Master? He had a Master? Did this 'Master' have Malfoy?

"Where's Malfoy? What have you done with him?" Eve snarled.

"I have done nothing to him; my master is enjoying him now," the stranger laughed coldly.

"What?" Eve gasped, thinking what he meant by 'enjoying'.

Suddenly another tortured scream tore through the air. Her blood ran cold. The poor boy. He was an arrogant prat but he didn't deserve what he was enduring then.

"Malfoy!" she screamed hoarsely.

"I think he's a bit preoccupied with my master," the man restraining her said. "He's got special plans for the little brat. And he's a little hungry."

Eve barely understood what he was on about. "What is he doing to him!" she erupted in fury, struggling like a feral animal, clawing at anything she could reach.

"Ow! Little bitch!" he cried as she scratched his face.

He hit her across the jaw and then her stomach. Weakened, in body and mind, Eve felt the fight drain from her. She could bring herself to fight anymore as she was practically dragged to wherever it was they were going. Her pleads for Malfoy's release had been ignored and she had been reduced to weeping for the boy's sake. His screams rang through her head in a torture of its own.

Eve begged again but was met with a smack in the jaw. She didn't recall stopping; all she could hear were Malfoy's cries; all she could see was the blurred image of the forest through the web of tears. She blinked a few times to clear her vision.

"He's ready, Damien. Bring her here," a deep voice growled from not far away.

Eve was hauled to her feet by the man, Damien, and dragged, kicking and screaming, towards the other stranger. Upon the sight of Malfoy, a sort of choked sound was made by the Elf, most of it still stuck in her throat. Her entire body twisted in disgust and sympathy.

There, lying sprawled on the dirt, bloody and naked, was Malfoy, once so proud and now reduced to such a quivering mess of a boy.

"Draco," a female voice barely whispered.

He looked up and saw Potter being held by the monster's pet, the monster that had beaten him, tortured him, raped him. The cold stranger held his neck with his ice cold hand.

"Seen your dinner, have you, my lovely?" he chuckled cruelly.

Malfoy looked the girl up and down, seeing she too had been beaten and was now looking down at him with pity. He could not blame her. He must have looked awful. He was tainted, his purity and beauty gone. But wait – had he just suggested she was his _dinner_?

"Eve," Malfoy gasped out.

"Let go of him!" Eve snapped.

"Hush, Human!" the man growled, barring white, pointed… fangs.

It was a Vampire. Of course! Why hadn't she seen it? It was obvious his mind was so much stronger so why hadn't she sensed it?

The Vampire turned back to Malfoy.

"Pl-Please," the boy begged. "I… I can't."

"Quiet now, little fair one," he purred. "I'm going to give you a very special gift. The gift of life and death. Be still now, child."

Before Malfoy could plea again, the Vampire had silenced him with his terrible bite that sent his head spinning.

"No!" Eve cried. "Take me, not him! I'm stronger than he is. You'll kill him!"

The Vampire took no notice but Malfoy's eyes poured into hers as he panted and bucked. Damien struck another blow to her head.

"You'll get your turn," he hissed vehemently to her

Eve felt physically sick. She watched as Malfoy's eyes lolled back and he fell limp in the stranger's iron embrace. His naked body was covered in scratches, blood and bruises. Licking his bloody lips and humming in lustful satisfaction, the cold stranger pulled out his fangs, sharper and more venomous than any snake fang.

From the way he looked, Eve couldn't tell if Malfoy was alive or dead. His body was unmoving, not a sign of life about it.

"Is he dead?" she bit out, stammering from fear and the cold.

"Yes and no," the Vampire replied casually as if someone's life cost nothing. He then cut his wrist and offered the bleeding limb to Malfoy's mouth. The lifeless boy seemed to awaken by the presence of the Vampire's blood.

"Drink it, fair one," he purred.

Malfoy refused. He would rather have died right there.

"Stubborn, isn't he?" the Vampire said to no one in particular then suddenly forced his wrist into Malfoy's mouth, leaving him with only two choices: choke or swallow.

In that split second, Malfoy swallowed the liquid and felt his body burn like fire was igniting in every cell of his body. He felt his body die, from the inside. His organs wilted and stopped working altogether, his throat was dry and his chest hurt so much. He was truly dead now, a monster, no longer Human but not quite yet a Vampire. Human blood would complete the change.

"Alec, shall I?" Damien said, gesturing to Eve.

The Vampire, Alec, looked up from his new creation to his Human lover. "Yes, I think the little one is rather hungry."

"Incarcerous," Damien muttered and out of thin air, ropes were conjured that tied Eve's already weak body.

She tried at first to struggle but soon learned that it would do no help. By now, Alec's Newborn had smelt the presence of humans. The beast, once boy, focused on the maiden bound only a few metres away. There was something about her that was familiar. Did he know that little, shivering creature? Her scent was far more appealing to him than the grown male next to her.

Damien eyed the Newborn carefully as did Alec; he had sensed power inside the boy, and the girl, and it seemed he had chosen her. He would become very powerful, Alec knew it.

"Do nothing," he instructed coolly. "Let him find his way. It seems he's found his First Blood."

Caring not about his nakedness or that others were present, Malfoy crawled towards the bound girl. Eve grunted, trying to free herself again, scared out of her wits, but no matter how much she tried nothing worked and the young Vampire continued to advance.

But, suddenly, when Malfoy reached her, he turned back to his sire, as if to ask if it was all right that he fed from the girl.

"It's all right, fair one," Alec purred. "You must drink at least half her blood until you fully change. Only then can you fulfil the Dark Lord's wishes. She is all yours, young one, now and forever."

_Yes, mine_, the monster in Malfoy's head growled with satisfaction.

So close now, Malfoy could hear her frantic heartbeat, he could almost feel it. He took in a deep breath and her scent flooded him, just like the crimson water he would soon be draining from her. Uncaringly, he pulled the black tangled locks of hair that covered her fairly pale neck and ended up bruising the delicate skin.

"M-Malfoy, please," the girl begged, shivering under his touch. "You don't need to do this."

Eve wondered if Malfoy was still in there or if it was just a ravenous beast she was trying to reason with. Her hopes that he was still there were confirmed when he tilted his head to the side: he remembered her!

"Malfoy, you know me. I'm Eve Potter, Harry Potter's sister. Please. You remember me, I know you do."

Hearing her but ignoring her, the Newborn lowered his dry mouth to the throbbing pulse in her neck, allowing his diamond like fangs to graze the fragile barrier of skin between him and the flowing liquid within her. He ripped the rope off her easily and his arms became her new prison. He would not have her escaping from him.

Malfoy, listen to me," his victim squirmed helplessly in his grasp. "You don't have to do this. Please stop, please."

A low growl emitted from Malfoy's throat, telling her to be quiet. Silenced by fear, Eve accepted that he was going to kill her. A single tear slid down her cheek. She didn't want to die.

Malfoy inhaled deeply and sliced his fangs into her throat like soft butter. The burning in his chest and throat melted away, carried away with the blood he swallowed. He gulped down the hot, sweet liquid that was bringing him back to life, unaware of the girl beginning to still in his arms.

Eve felt a strange sensation wash over her, like she was falling into some kind of trance. She couldn't recall when, but the bite didn't hurt anymore; it was the opposite. Having Malfoy's fangs embedded in her felt amazing. Her head tipped itself back without being told to give Malfoy more access to her neck.

This lustful effect was taking place in both of them. Malfoy pushed his hips into her, the arm on her back pulling her hips towards him at the same time. Eve let him without protest; all she could think about was the throbbing pulse in her groin.

But what was left of her sane mind tried to fight. "Mal-Malfoy," she croaked. "St-stop. Stop."

Every fibre in her was screaming in protest. And, suddenly, Malfoy did stop. He realised what he was doing. He pulled his red fangs out as quickly as possible without causing the girl any pain. Repulsed at himself, he felt his gut wrench; he'd taken her blood, her life. He'd almost killed her!

"No, you mustn't stop. You must keep drinking," Alec hissed. "You must take half her blood to change. You cannot bind her to you unless you are a full Vampire."

Suddenly a bone chilling roar of fury resonated through the trees as Malfoy flew at his sire, pinning him effectively against a tree that crack under the pressure of the vampire's strength and body.

Malfoy's claws, harder than granite, dug maliciously into Alec's marble flesh. "What did you do to me?" he bellowed, and thundering growl seething in his chest. "You made me this! A Vampire! You made me a monster! I'll kill you!"

Alec struggled but Eve's blood had made Malfoy very strong, despite not even being a full Vampire. Alec had sensed powerful magic in the Human girl when she had arrived and knew it had the potential to make his new rebellious creation one of the most powerful Vampires in centuries.

The Newborn lunged for his sire's throat, no interest in blood, only ripping it out. His claws attacked his body, tearing off chunks of flesh at a time. Damien couldn't comprehend what was happening for a split second and could only watch his lover be torn to pieces. Like him, Eve was also frozen, horrified by what she was seeing.

Suddenly, Damien came back to life and hurled himself, screaming, onto Malfoy's back trying to pull him away from Alec, who was as good as dead, truly dead. Malfoy took little notice of the man desperately trying to haul him away and began twisting his sire's neck with his mouth, his hands still ripping his stone body to shreds.

"I HOPE YOU ROT IN HELL!" Malfoy roared to the destroyed Vampire who now dropped from the Newborn's grasp, and he could focus on the Human still clinging to him.

As brutally as he'd seized Alec, Malfoy threw Damien from his back and tackled him to the ground with another roar of fury. Taking no caution at all, he tore into his neck only to suddenly draw his head back in disgust. Damien's blood may as well have been dirt in Malfoy's mouth, the complete opposite of the mouth-watering crimson life water that flowed within the Potter girl. The Potter girl.

He'd completely forgotten about her. He threw Damien aside, glad that it injured him and glanced around for his clothes. As he quickly clad himself, Damien crawled over to Alec's mangled remains of a body and screamed out in agony and burning sorrow for his lover.

Completely disregarding his existence, Malfoy swept past him, approaching the young Elf. She shook like a dry leaf in a storm, the fear clearly more evident that the chilling cold. Malfoy knew what he'd done had frightened her but he had to get them both back to the school, and there was no way she would be able to stand, especially after he'd taken so much of her blood.

Slowly, so as not to scare her further, Malfoy bent down, hoping his eyes would be enough to tell her he wouldn't hurt her. But then again she had no choice when he picked her up as if she weighed nothing.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he promised. Eve had to know that he still had some of his humanity left.

He kept her tucked close to his chest and carried her towards the teacher's lodgings, where hopefully he could find Severus Snape, the one man he could trust.

"You were very brave, you know," was the last thing Eve heard before she fell limp in Malfoy's arms.

Eve knew she would never forget that day. She still had the bite on her neck to remind her. She'd resorted to wearing a scarf until it healed so no one would ever find out. In all honesty she had no idea what to do. What would happen to Malfoy? Was he Human or Vampire, or neither? She hadn't seen him since that day.

Of course, her friends had noticed how distracted she had become and how much she kept to herself. They all tried to get through to her but nothing worked. Belle would have gone to Chloe but the High General and her father where away to negotiate with another Elf clan beyond their Southern borders.

It was the afternoon, four days after _it _had happened.

The four Elf girls sat around a dying fire, not far away from the training ground. Tension was in the air. Belle made the mistake of trying to break that tension by questioning Eve.

"Eve?" she looked over to her dozing friend.

"Yeah," Eve slurred.

"What's been going on with you? You've not been yourself for the last few days and I want to know what's wrong," Belle said.

Eve opened her eyes and her body became more tense. "Nothing's wrong. I go quiet sometimes, you know I do."

"But never like this. There's something different about you. You're hiding something."

"So what?" Eve tone became defensive, almost aggressive. "I don't have to tell you every detail of my life. We're not five year old girls that share all their secrets."

"I never said that," Belle defended. "But I want to know what's wrong with you if it's affecting you this badly."

"You can never just mind your own business can you?" Eve narrowed her eyes. "There's nothing wrong with me so just leave it."

"There obviously is," Belle retorted. "Otherwise why would you get so worked up about it?"

For a second, Eve was stumped.

"Is it because of Voldemort and starting half a new life, is that it? Are you starting to doubt whether you'll be just as accepted among us because you must fight with your wizard brother?" Belle questioned.

"Maybe because I'm sick of you poking your nose where it's not welcome," Eve finally found her words again.

On the other side of the fire, Renn and Remmera were becoming anxious. They had witnessed the two fighting before. And it was not pretty. Both the princess's left ears were back in an aggressive gesture. It was a warning.

"How dare you," the blue eyed Elf spat, springing to her feet. "How dare you say that to me when I'm only trying to help you?"

"If you want to help me then stop talking about it," Eve snapped, challenging her cousin non-verbally by also standing. "You think you can make everything better, don't you? Well let me tell you that you spend half the time making everything worse. Keep out of my business."

Belle felt stabbed in the back. They'd always shared their problems, even if they knew the other one couldn't help. She knew something was terribly wrong but was now too angry to focus on that. Eve opened her mouth to speak again in an apology. She knew she shouldn't have snapped at her like that but Belle cut her off.

"No, enough. Get out of my sight."

That did it.

Eve's burning eyes narrowed in fury and aggression and spat something she knew would strike a nerve, "Yes, _your majesty_." And with that she turned and stormed away, her body bristling with anger.

Renn stood to and followed after her. "I'll try and calm her down. I'm sure she didn't mean it, Belle." The shorter Elf jogged after the storm of a girl.

Remmera placed a comforting hand on the princess's shoulder, but she flinched from the touch. Her chest hurt by Eve's last remark. Everyone knew Belle hated to be regarded as just a princess that used her position to order people around. She'd ordered Eve away, and what hurt her most that was that Eve had obeyed. Usually, Eve never left when Belle ordered her away like that, when she rarely did.

The princess sighed and her shoulders slouched. She knew that if anyone could figure out what was wrong, it was Renn. Renn didn't need asking or telling; she'd already planned to find out one way or another.

She had to walk very briskly to catch up with the fuming Elf. Saying nothing for the moment, she followed her into the forest, knowing she was walking a route she knew too well. Renn came to a stop as Eve sat herself down on a fallen tree by a little fish pond, surrounded by silver rocks. She watched her sympathetically as she reached down into the icy water with her bare hand, hissing at the biting cold, and let the fish come and peck her fingers.

"You'll lose your fingers," Renn said softly.

"True," Eve said without anger and withdrew her already red fingers and dried them on her clothes.

"Belle shouldn't have told you to go like that," Renn said.

"I shouldn't have gone, but I'm not going back now," Eve said stubbornly. "She'll think she's won."

"She certainly doesn't think that at the moment,"

"I know her too well, of course she doesn't," Eve didn't take her eyes away from the fish as she spoke.

"But there's something else, isn't there?" Renn cocked her head to the side. "It's not just this new life, being worried about being torn away from your current life. There's something else bothering you."

At this point, Eve was rather annoyed at Renn's skill to read people. Surely if she told her though, she would tell the others? But Renn knew Eve might be thinking this and knew that if Eve wanted to tell anyone she would have told Belle, and she hadn't told anyone.

"So what haven't you told anyone?" Renn questioned.

"There are quite a few things I haven't told anyone, doesn't mean they're important," Eve shrugged, hoping to avoid the subject entirely.

"I've never seen that scarf before," Renn raised her eyebrows.

"It was a gift," Eve lied smoothly.

"Who from?"

"Harry," it was the first name she could think of.

"You've not taken it off all the time you've been here," Renn pointed out.

"I like it," Eve said.

"Then, I'm sure it's nothing, but can you take it off?" the younger Elf didn't know what to expect. It could just have been a gift but Renn thought otherwise when she got her answer. If she had nothing to hide then why not prove it?

Eve shuffled uncomfortably. "I'd rather not," she said stiffly.

"There's something you don't want to tell us and it's hiding beneath your scarf," Renn stated, scanning her for any more differences.

"No, I just don't want to take my scarf off because I'm cold," Eve hissed.

"And you look very pale, extremely pale," Renn assessed. "Did you have an accident?" There was suddenly worry in her voice.

"Sort of," Eve said. "It was very big whatever it was. An accident, a plan."

"Tell me," Renn murmured.

"Must I?" Eve groaned.

"No, but I'd still like to know," Renn said.

Eve bit her lip, wondering whether to tell her or not. Would she tell her and then find her to have told the others?

"I, um, I was… bitten by…a… a Vampire," she forced out. "But I'm not one," she quickly added.

"Yes, I know," Renn replied. "Do you know who it was?"

"Yeah, it was someone from the school," Eve explained, "he got bitten and then drank my blood. The Vampire that bit him said I was his 'First Blood' or something."

"We should look into it," Renn said. "I've heard something about a Vampire's First Blood and, from what I can remember, they are very important… and they are supposed to be killed by the Vampire when they feed from them to complete the transformation. Why didn't the Vampire kill you?"

"I don't know," Eve shrugged. "Maybe because he knew me before he was turned. But the Vampire that turned him said something about how he must finish the change or something bad would happen, but he never got the chance to finish."

"We should look into it," Renn repeated. "There must be books on Vampires in the library. Because the fact that he didn't kill you when he was supposed to is quite extraordinary."

"Hmmm," Eve mumbled.

"Do you want to tell Belle and the others?" Renn asked.

The black haired Elf shook her head. "No. Belle would make such a huge fuss and the entire kingdom would end up knowing, and this isn't even my secret to tell; it is his. No, it remains between the two of us."

"You seem to care for this Vampire's feelings," Renn evaluated.

"How do you get to that point?"

"Well, you take into consideration that this is his secret and therefore don't want to forsake that. Was he a friend?"

That made Eve think for a moment. What was Draco Malfoy to her? An enemy? An acquaintance? A friend?

"Not really," she decided. "But we hardly hate each other. And he did carry me back to safety. I haven't seen him since."

"How did it happen?"

"I don't wish to talk about it," Eve dismissed, ashamed of her reckless actions that caused all this to happen.

"Very well," Renn said.

**Please tell me what you think! Love and hugs to all! xxx**


	5. Chapter 5: The Rusting Lantern

Early the next morning, Eve and Renn arranged to meet at the library. Nobody else was there. The morning mist had not yet lifted, creating an eerie atmosphere through the streets of Rivermoor. Eve stood with her back against the cold wall of the library, waiting for Renn to get there. It was an old but still astonishing building of wood and stone. A lantern hung, unlit, high above the door, the metal rusting away. A lantern that had been there for centuries.

Eve rubbed her chilly arms. What was taking Renn so long? Eve wiggled her feet to try and get some of the feeling back in them; she had not chosen the best shoes for cold weather. Suddenly, her ears pricked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. With a little push, Eve heaved herself upright and took a couple of slow steps forwards to Renn.

"Morning," Eve greeted with chattering teeth.

"And yourself," Renn replied. "You seem cold."

"You think?" Eve said sarcastically.

Quietly chuckling, the younger Elf pushed open the door to the library and held it open for Eve. "Thank you," Eve said.

No one was in the library so early in the morning. The two were glad for it but the scene of an empty library triggered their imaginations into thinking there could be monster in the shadows. A monster like a Vampire. Eve shook her head, stopping her train of thought and focused on finding a book that could give her some answers.

They spent a while searching for the right book about Vampires; they were looking for Newborn Vampires. While they searched, Eve continuously scratched her scarred neck.

"Stop that," Renn whispered. "That'll only make it worse."

Eve stopped suddenly, unaware that she'd been scratching so vigorously. The two puncture wounds began burning and stinging, making the urge to scratch almost unbearable.

_Fuck you Malfoy_! she swore in her head.

"This might be it," Renn said, pulling a rather thick, heavy looking book from the shelf and heaved it onto a table.

She was already flicking through the pages as Eve sat down next to her.

"Here it is," Renn said in a low voice as she landed on the section on Newborn Vampires.

The two girls began to read.

_The term 'Newborn' is given to a newly turned Vampire. It applies from the moment a person has been bitten to when they have fully settled from the change of Human to Vampire. This normally takes 2-3 weeks. A newly bitten Vampire must drink four pints of blood to complete the transformation from Human to Vampire. The person they first feed from is known as their 'First Blood' or 'First'. _

_The First Blood is vital to a Vampire's development and future powers. The more powerful the First Blood, the more powerful the limits of the Vampire's overall powers. Ideally, a Vampire is to kill their First to develop themselves as a Vampire but, in a few cases, it has been known that a Vampire has not killed their First Blood. Not killing their First damns that Vampire to a lifelong addiction to their First's blood and will take longer for them to settle. A Vampire can choose to take the required amount of blood to fully develop over a period of time, however during this time the First's blood is the only blood that will satisfy the Vampire's needs._ _In the case of keeping the First alive, even after the Vampire has transformed, the Vampire will be able to drink the blood of other creatures but the First's blood will be the best tasting, and the best choice would be to keep drinking from the First Blood to ensure extreme and longer lasting power._

_Male Vampires are very usually very tall, broad and muscular. In current records, there is not a male Vampire beneath the height of 6"2. Males are a bit stronger than females in most cases (also seen in Humans) but their speed is equal on average…_

"I've seen enough," Eve choked out, her bottom lip trembling as if she were about to cry.

She got up swiftly from her chair and nearly ran out of the library and into the forest, where she let the tears fall. Malfoy hadn't killed her so that meant he was now addicted to her blood. _Addicted_. Malfoy was an arrogant, selfish git; he would probably kill her the minute he got his hands on her. Surely he knew the doom he'd brought upon himself. If he didn't kill her and chose to take little bits at a time, she too would be damned, to a life as his blood whore, reduced to only existing so he could have a good meal. And even after he no longer actually needed her, it was likely he'd still want to keep drinking her and he'd still be addicted to her.

"Eve?" Renn whispered.

Eve looked up, trying to hide her sobbing. Saying nothing, Renn approached her carefully and embraced her. Eve accepted her hold gladly and rested her head against her shoulder. For a minute or two, Renn just held the gently weeping girl in a warm hug.

"He's going to kill me," Eve whispered hysterically.

"He won't kill you," Renn reassured confidently. "He is still a boy and I doubt he will want to hurt you. He didn't hurt you before and he returned you to safety."

"What do I do?"

"We can go to him and try and work something out," she suggested.

"No, no," Eve cried. "He can never know that you know. It is his secret not mine."

"Well then you must face him by yourself."

Eve didn't want to but she knew Renn was right. She would have to face Malfoy alone. "Then I suppose I should just do it then."

"Be careful."

Eve made no reply. She turned her back on Renn and began making her way to the fifth year lodge. Every step she took seemed to make a new horde of butterflies awaken in her stomach. She tried telling herself that she would be okay; it didn't help. Out of the woods now, the lodge was in sight. Closer and closer she got.

"Miss Potter?" a drawling voice said behind her.

Eve stopped and turned around to face whoever said her name. "Yes?"

"I am Severus Snape, the Potions Master," he introduced, and Eve recognised him from the day Harry and his friends first came to Rivermoor. "I am here on behalf of… an acquaintance of yours."

Eve's heart froze. Please could he not be talking about…

"Mr Malfoy would like to see you," Snape said. "Follow me."

The girl swallowed her heart and followed after him to the teacher's lodge. Why would Malfoy be there?

_Maybe so he won't try and bite any of the students, _she answered herself.

Snape walked very briskly. She almost had to break into a jog to keep up with him. The Potions Master led her to a deserted corner of the building, down a corridor that seemed to hold only one room. The Elf's head tilted to the side as she saw the man stiffen as they approached that door. He straightened himself and knocked on the door. Without waiting for an answer, Snape turned the handle and opened the door.

"Come in," he said to Eve.

She stepped inside to find it empty. It was beautiful though. To the far right was a king-sized double, four-poster bed, its gleaming wood reflecting the golden fire light coming from the marble fireplace. There was a wooden desk in front of a window, looking out over to Rivermoor, and a large wardrobe capable of holding enough clothes for four people. There was a dark green, velvet sofa adjacent to the fireplace and a leather armchair in front of it.

Eve looked back at Snape, confused as to why the room was empty. He simply nodded to her. "Mr Malfoy and I have already discussed the effects of his change. I will leave him to explain everything to you."

That in no way reassured her. Her mouth opened like a fish's as Snape closed the door and left her alone. Or so she thought.

"Hello, Potter."

With a startled shriek, Eve spun around, her chest seized with fright. It was him. It was Malfoy. He didn't look too well though. His skin was more in the side of chalky-grey than ice white; he seemed skinnier than he was before, his bones were more prominent; and his eyes had no sparkle, no life in them.

"Malfoy," she whispered. "What happened to you?"

The Newborn took a step forward. "_You _happened to me. This is what lack of blood does to an undeveloped Vampire. So, tell me, where have you been these last few days?"

"I had other things to sort out, and I didn't know what to do. I'm sorry," she hung her head. "I was on my way to find you before Snape brought me here."

"Well, at least you are here now. Are you aware that I must feed from you?" he asked her.

"Yes," she answered quietly. "How much more blood do you need?"

"I need about three and a half pints until I become a full Vampire. I didn't take very much from you and yet I was able to kill my sire. That I do not understand. How could you be so powerful?" Malfoy took another step towards her, making her feel uneasy.

"I have very strong magic but I can't control it yet. That could be it," she said.

"It could well be. I'm almost glad now you are my First Blood. It means I will be very powerful," the blond smirked.

"Is that all you care about?" Eve scoffed. He was unbelievable!

"If I'm going to be a monster I might as well be a powerful one," Malfoy shrugged.

The girl felt a sudden pang of sympathy for him. He thought he was a monster. She paused. "Do your parents know about you?"

"Of course they know," he snapped. "Neither of them could look me in the eye when they spoke to me. My own parents are afraid of me." He turned his head away.

"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?" she asked softly.

"Yes, you can let me feed from you," his cold gaze was on her again. "I thought we could arrange a feeding schedule until I transform."

"Okay," Eve nodded. "How often?"

"Every three days?" he suggested.

"I think I can do that. I'll have to get a Blood Replenishing potion from the Mage."

"No need. Severus has already provided me with some," Malfoy suddenly shifted from casual to predatory. "Come here."

Eve swallowed and closed the gap between them, struggling to keep her breathing even. Malfoy encircled her in his arms, not taking much care with his movements; though it was more like he was having difficulty controlling himself. A gasp slipped from Eve's lips as she was pressed to his body. Suddenly with no warning, Malfoy lunged down and captured her neck in his mouth.

Eve opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. She began to struggle against the grip his razor-like fangs held her in. It was just as painful as it had been the first time. Eve had been cut by a blade many times in her life but it didn't compare to this at all. A choked sound forced its way up her throat; she felt the blood being pulled through her veins as well as a drop escape and slide down her neck to her collar.

One of Malfoy's hands gripped her pitch black locks while the other had found its way down to her rear, pulling her hips towards his. Eve had relaxed by now as the pleasurable side of his bite began to take effect. Malfoy felt himself begin to go hard, and so did Eve. She began to feel rather uncomfortable, especially when she felt it press against her thigh.

Malfoy let out a low purr as his fangs withdrew from her reddened flesh. He moved his arms back to her waist to hold her steady. Dizzy and faint, Eve was glad for it. She looked up and saw Malfoy already looked much healthier than he did before. He seemed to be in a better mood as well.

"That hurt," Eve groaned, her voice rough as jagged rock.

"It will the first few times," he said. "Sit down."

He helped her to the leather armchair, then went to get the Blood Replenishing potion. Eve got a sudden head rush when she sat down, and placed a hand on her forehead, squeezing her eyes shut. She opened them again at the sound of Malfoy's approaching footsteps. He held the potion out to her.

"Thank you," she took it and opened the bottle. She had taken this potion a few times before so knew how much to drink.

"Well, I can't have my First Blood being too weak, can I?" Malfoy smugly raised his fine eyebrows, looking down at her.

"So, you don't care about me at all, do you?" the Newborn could not help notice a tone of sadness in her voice.

"I never said that. If I didn't care I would have left the moment my fangs left your neck, but here I am," he said. He began pacing in front of the fire.

"No, you only care for me because I am your route to becoming a full Vampire, not because you hold any sorts of feelings towards me," the Elf hissed. She didn't want to admit it but he'd hurt her by not caring. She shouldn't have cared, should she?

"To be honest, I don't know," Malfoy shrugged.

"You know I don't have to give you my blood," Eve suddenly challenged, taking the blond aback. "No one can make me."

"You intend to blackmail me, do you?" he sneered. "I expected you to be foolhardy like your stupid brother."

"That's not the point," she snapped back. "It's hardly likely that me and Harry are the same. We've had completely different upbringings. And he's not stupid, he's actually very brave, which is more than I can say for you." Her inner tigress was pushing though.

"How dare you," Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks. He was angry now, more than angry. He was furious. "How. Fucking. Dare. You. You have NO idea what I endured that night. That monster took everything away from me. My purity, my innocence, my life and replaced it with a monster. Now all I can do is make the most of what I am. I will turn it into a gift rather than carry it as a curse or burden. So look me in the eye, Potter, and tell me I'm not brave. Go on."

Eve was struck dumb. How heartless she had been! Of course he was brave; he had gone through all of that and further still he was going to make the best out of it. For that, she admired him greatly.

"Malfoy, I'm so sorry," she whispered. "What I said was stupid. Please, forgive me."

Malfoy eyed her carefully; she did look sorry, very sorry. There was a moment of silence.

"I didn't mean what I said," she took the silence as a sign that she hadn't been forgiven. "It just hurt me when you implied that you don't care for me at all, just my blood." His gaze made her nervous. Just how angry had she made him?

"Then, you have my forgiveness," Malfoy said, calming down. He saw he had hurt her too, and she was doing him a favour after all.

"I didn't mean it," Eve repeated.

"I know. Just don't anger me; it's not a good idea," he advised her.

Eve gave him a slightly confused look. She was tired, she could hardly think straight. Malfoy sighed and continued. "I'm only going to get more and more powerful, especially after I transform. If you anger me, I might lose control or forget just how delicate you will be to me. Right now, if I squeezed your arm as tight as I could, I could fracture it, maybe break it. But when I'm fully Vampire, I'll be able to rip out your spine as easily as picking up a piece of paper."

"If you're going to be that strong you shouldn't be around Humans," Eve said.

"I only meant it if I wanted to. It wouldn't be like everything I touched would shatter into a million pieces but I'd still have the capability," he explained to her. "I've been doing a lot of research."

Eve nodded slowly. Although Vampires did scare her, she could not help be fascinated by them. They were remarkable creatures.

"So, it's not a good idea to get me fired up, at least until I have some control over my temper," the Newborn summarised.

Eve let out a little laugh. "It might be difficult with all your mood swings." This time Malfoy gave her a confused look. "I mean one minute you're like a volcano, the next you're talking to me like we're friends."

"I can't help it," Malfoy defended himself.

"Well, I don't blame you. Anyone's emotions would be all over the place if something as drastic as this had happened," she said, and then got out of the armchair. "Right, I guess I should be going. I'll see you… what day is it?"

"Wednesday."

"Then I'll see you on Saturday," Eve said. She turned and left without another word.

After leaving Eve, Renn got back to a normal day. This consisted of things like grooming and exercising the horses, sword and archery training, telepathic communication training, studying in the library, and sometimes wand work. That day she was jumping Bonnie with Belle. The princess had been meaning to talk to her about Eve but she would wait until Renn finished the course of jumps.

Giving Bonnie an affectionate pat on the neck, the brown haired Elf turned into the middle of the arena, where she was not in the way of the jump course.

"Good girl," she cooed to the mare.

"How's Eve doing?" Belle blurted out.

"She's all right, I guess," Renn shrugged.

"Does she still hate me?"

Renn scoffed. "Do you know her at all? You know that a fight will never lessen your friendship. You two have had fights like Durzian and Capyli but it's never reduced any bond you have."

"That doesn't answer my question," Belle growled.

Renn gave Bonnie a little nudge, turning her on the forehand, so she was facing Belle. "No, she never has hated and never will."

"Is she still angry with me?"

"Probably," Renn admitted.

"Did she tell you what was wrong?"

"Yes."

"What is it?" the princess' pointed ears perked up with deep interest and concern.

Renn pulled a face. "That I can't say. It is neither mine nor her secret to tell."

"Is it to do with Harry?" Belle questioned.

"I cannot tell so do not ask, or we'll be here all week," Renn gave a little smile. "It's your turn to do the course now."

* * *

**So how was it? xxx**


	6. Chapter 6: The Silver Plot

**A/N: Hello everyone! If you've read up to chapter six then thanks so much for keeping with me. Hope you enjoy and if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask. **

Eve was rather uncomfortable in her current position. She had run into Severus Snape after giving Malfoy his feed. He only had another pint of blood to go until he transformed, that was two more feeds. Eve had left his private room and almost walked straight into the Potions Master as she turned a corner.

"Oh, sorry sir," she apologised.

Snape seemed to dismiss it and stepped around her.

"Sir?"

He turned back to face the petite girl and answered dully, "Yes?"

"Can I ask you something? About Malfoy," she lowered her voice so the Newborn wouldn't hear them with his heightened hearing. He had been changing over the past couple of weeks and she wanted to find out why.

"Go on," he nodded.

"There have been a few changes in him, is that normal?"

"What kind of changes?" Snape tilted his head ever so slightly.

"Well, he seems to be older, more mature. He's getting stronger and faster little by little and his senses have gotten better. Is that supposed to happen before the transformation?" Eve asked.

"This is all perfectly normal. Mr Malfoy has already started gradually changing, however his transformation will bring with it the most drastic changes in strength, speed, power, senses, and seduction as well as other things." Snape explained. "Mr Malfoy is going to change when he becomes a Vampire."

"How do you mean?" the Elf asked uneasily. "Will it still be him?"

"Yes, he will still have memories and feelings of his Human life; he will still be Draco, only Vampire Draco."

"And how will that change him?"

"No doubt he will become darker, more predatory and all the things I said before. You could be the safest person once he changes or the person most in danger. If he decides he is eternally grateful for your help, Mr Malfoy will protect you and continue to occasionally feed from you, maybe even develop feelings for you; _however, _if he decides that you have fulfilled your purpose and can no longer be any use to him, he will kill you. I am honest when I say I hope he chooses to keep you alive, Potter," with that Snape turned and strode away, his black cape billowing behind him.

Eve stood frozen, her feet glued to the floor. The first thoughts that came into her head were nothing more than mad babblings, telling her to befriend Malfoy and be kind as possible to him, suck up to him if need be. But, wait. That might not be a totally loony idea. If she kept her peace with him and was kind to him then she might stand a better chance of living. After all, she and he were already on quite good ground, unlike him and her brother. Malfoy held nothing against her. With any luck, when he transformed he'd remember that she helped him and they had no real quarrel.

Regaining the feeling in her limbs, Eve took a deep breath and departed from the teacher's lodges, a gentle sway in her hips.

Belle had always been someone who liked to know what was going on. Eve kept so many things secret and Belle could not bear to just to sit back. They had known each other for so long and she cared for her greatly. There was no way Eve or Renn would tell her anything, so she'd have to do some digging herself. First, she observed Eve and what she did. The black haired Elf disappeared every few days for a while, claiming that she had business with Harry; Belle had seen her drinking a potion out of a small vial; Eve looked very pale, sometimes looking ill and her neck was always covered.

Before jumping to conclusions, Belle did a little more investigating. She went to Harry and asked if Eve had been meeting with him. He said no. The princess only needed to be told once. So, Eve was lying about where she was going. Belle could not then go to Eve though, or she would know that she was trying to find out her secrets for herself. It was hard for her to supress her concern. Every time she and Eve were together, she was always kind and gentle to her cousin, who seemed to have forgiven her completely for their argument.

More days passed, and Belle was no closer to sure answers but she had a hunch about her cousin. Everything going on made her suspect something was desperately wrong, so she knuckled down and did her research. And her research led a possible conclusion: Eve was a Vampire.

Everything made sense that way. She flicked her facts again.

_Vampires cannot go into the sun without becoming ill and eventually dying…_

_Silver can harm a Vampire…_

_A newly turned Vampire is classed is a 'Newborn' until 2-3 weeks after the change from Human to Vampire…_

_A Vampire must drink four pints of blood from their First Blood…_

A great many things had gone through Belle's head when she'd come to that assumption. But, she first decided that she would find out for real if Eve was a Vampire. If she was, who was her First Blood? How long had she been a Vampire? Was she still a Newborn, or had she developed? Was the potion Belle seen her taking a kind of blood substitute or a concoction allowing her outside without getting ill?

But if she wasn't, then could it be that she was in link with a Vampire herself? Could she be the First Blood? Belle just didn't know. But she did know that at the first chance she got, she would trick Eve into touching something silver. If it burned her skin then she was a Vampire, but if it didn't then she was Human.

Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in their usual spot under the tree, watching the world go by. Their home of Hogwarts School was still under attack and the city itself had mostly fallen. The Order's only plan was to let their forces strengthen again in Aseridia and to give Evelina Potter time to strengthen her own powers. Harry was going to need all the help she could give.

Harry was still a little puzzled by Eve's cousin's question to him a few days ago. She had asked him if Eve had been discussing business with him. In honesty, he had not seen much of his sister lately. He didn't like that. They should have been closer.

"Are you all right, mate?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, fine," Harry said. "Just thinking."

"About what?" Hermione said softly.

"Eve," he said. "I feel like I hardly know her still."

"You should go find her, do something together," the witch suggested.

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure. Ask her what she likes to do."

"Er, Mione, she's normally sword fighting or galloping around knocking her friends of their horses," Ron said.

"So?" Hermione said. "That's what the Capyli train in, like how we train with magic. And I'm sure she does other things in her free time. Go and see her."

"Now?"

"Yes, why not?"

"Okay then," Harry got to his feet and ventured into the Elven town in search of his little sister.

By chance, he happened to see her sitting alone by a little river, separating the two estates. She sensed him coming but waited until he spoke first.

"Hey," he said, sitting down next to her.

"Hey," she answered, turning her head towards him. A gust of wind blew her dark locks of hair out of her feline face.

Despite it being his sister, Harry couldn't deny that she was beautiful. Being an Elf added to her beauty with the slanted, cat-like eyes; the high cheekbones; her feline face. But Elf or not, she had silky black hair, reaching down to her waist; plump, rosy lips; sparkling eyes and complimenting eyebrows; and her body was slim and rather small. And there was something about her, something so gentle and so delicate but Harry couldn't quite put his finger on it.

For a few moments she and Harry sat in silence. Eve bit her lip and her hands fidgeted in her lap. "You all right?" she asked.

"Yeah," Harry said. "You?"

"Fine," she shrugged.

"Would you like to do something with me?" the boy asked awkwardly.

"Sure, what do you want to do?" her voice gained more interest.

"Anything you like," Harry smiled slightly.

"Um, we could go riding, if you like?" Eve suggested.

"Okay, but I can't ride."

"You can ride with me," she returned his smile.

Harry quickly grew use to Leveran's movements and no longer had to hold onto Eve for balance. Eve had taken Harry on a trek into the forest of Rivermoor. She kept to the wide, brightly lit open roads. Leveran walked very nicely with a bounce in his step and his nostrils snorting in a steady rhythm.

"Have you lived here all your life?" Harry asked her.

"Yeah, well, since mum and dad were killed," Eve said. Her voice lacked emotion when it shouldn't have.

"You don't seem too bothered by that," Harry observed.

"I don't know," she sighed. "It's like I can't quite grasp the fact that they're dead. I grew up never having parents or memory of them so it doesn't seem completely real to me."

Harry nodded and was silent for a little while. He looked around the forest. The trees seemed so alive, like their lower branches were bowing down to them while their higher branches reached up to kiss the sky.

"Eve?" he said.

"Yeah?"

"How long do you think it'll be until you can control your magic?"

"A while. I can barely supress it, let alone control it. And worse still, I cannot use it if I am scared," she exhaled deeply. "And I scare very easily and I find it really difficult to get over fears." A pulse drummed in her head, chanting one of, if not her biggest, fear. _Vampire. Vampire. Vampire. _

"Is there no way you can move past that?" Harry asked.

"My uncle Thiazzi thinks that once I gain complete control over my magic I can then start to work past that barrier, but until then, fear renders my magic useless. It's how I supress it," the Elf explained. She then sighed again. "I doubt I'll be of much use."

"Don't say that," Harry said, shuffling a little closer to her in a gesture of comfort. "Anyone would need time to control such vast magic. I've told you before that I can't do this alone."

Eve suddenly halted Leveran. A sudden change in emotion caused her to feel slightly angry, almost used. "So what? So you can defeat Voldemort and then never see me again? Just use my powers to defeat your enemy and then take the glory."

"Eve-," Harry began.

"No, he is your enemy, not mine. We were only brought together so I could be used to defeat someone who I would never have known existed. You know we were. Otherwise why would they wait until now to reunite us?" her voice became tight with anger.

"Eve, please," Harry begged. "I would never just not speak to you again. I came to you so we could bond together. Neither of us knew that the other existed. I understand that you already have your own fights but you promised to help me, you know it."

Harry was right; she had promised to help him.

"And when this is over, I can help you, if you still need it," he went on. "Voldemort will find out about you sooner or later; the wizards' alliance with the Elves has little to do with the fact that you are an Elf. I was told that we used to be allies decades ago. And when Voldemort knows about you, he'll come after you too."

Eve took a few deep breaths, calming the brewing storm in her chest. It was not Harry's fault this was happening. A part of her, the gut urge, wanted to keep the fight up, and say that the only reason Voldemort would come after her would be because of Harry and the Wizards. Another part of her, her logic and reason, was telling her to calm down.

She inhaled deeply a couple more times. "I suppose you're right."

"I swear to Merlin that I am not and will never use you. I am merely asking you for your help," Harry said softly.

"And I will. If I don't the weight of my conscience might just kill me."

People often described Eve as the more shy, quiet type. But she was not without a temper either; whether she showed it or not depended on the situation. If it was Belle getting angry at her, she would challenge her, often getting overly angry; but if it was Malfoy getting angry at her, she would back down much sooner.

Eve knew she had flaws. She could become much shyer without the back up from her friends; she was easily frightened and found it difficult to overcome fears; she could shift from one side of her personality to another very easily. Her imagination could sometimes get carried away, linking to why she was easily scared. She had a fear of pain and was known to doubt herself. Like quite a lot of people, it took Eve some time to open up to people and show her more confident, relaxed side.

Belle had taken the time of pointing out each one of those flaws to her. Most of them Eve knew already but she thought it was good to know her own faults; in her opinion, a person wasn't much of a person if they didn't have faults. It was why she didn't strive to change all of them.

Eve sat back in her chair, in her living room. Her dazzling emerald eyes fixed on the dancing fire. She sighed. She felt bad for having a go at Harry; she was angry, that was all. It wasn't his fault. Her eyes flickered to the clock. It read 6:27. She was late for meeting Malfoy but it didn't bother her too much, she cared more about her discussion with her brother earlier in the day.

Eve was glad no one else was home, or would be for some time. She could have some time to herself to calm down. But, of course it had to come to an end. A knock came at the door.

Inwardly groaning, Eve forced herself up and went to the door. Her body seemed to weigh a ton as she lifted her arm and opened the door, plastering a decent face on. She was expecting it to be Harry or Belle, but it was Malfoy instead.

"Oh, hey," Eve's body language became much more closed at the sight of the Newborn Vampire.

"Why weren't you at my quarters at five thirty like we arranged?" he asked, his lips a thin line.

Eve looked down at her feet. "I had something else I needed to deal with."

"Something else more important than my life?" Malfoy swept past her into the house.

"Wait!" she cried. "I thought Vampire's couldn't enter a home without permission."

"Muggle rubbish," Malfoy sneered. "I can go wherever I damn well please."

Eve huffed and closed the door. They turned to face each other.

"So what was more important than my feed?" Malfoy said.

"Stop getting your knickers in twist, Malfoy," the girl sighed, not up for an argument. "Nothing would have happened to you but seeing as you're here now you can feed."

"No," Malfoy said stubbornly.

"What?" Eve made a face, sure that she had misheard him.

"No," he repeated. "This is clearly bothering you and it won't stop bothering you until you get it off your chest."

"Why would you care?"

"Because this is obviously something big if you care about it more than being First Blood to a Vampire and plus sorrow doesn't taste good," Malfoy said.

"What does that mean?" Eve asked.

"Certain emotions change the taste in blood. How they change the taste depends on the Vampire. For me, sorrow makes blood more bitter and I know that because your scent has altered already from it. So tell me what's bothering you."

"It's personal, I doubt you would be interested, but I had an argument with Harry earlier. I took out my anger on him," Eve played with her hair while she spoke. "I felt like I was just being used for his gain to fight Voldemort and that the only reason me and Harry were brought together was to fight his war."

Malfoy grinned slightly. "You look sweet when you do that."

Eve felt her cheeks flush and, in an attempt to hide it, turned away. She heard him chuckle slightly.

"And what did Potter do?" he asked.

"He tried to reason with me, told me that he would never use me and I didn't believe him when I should have. And then he swore to help me when Voldemort was defeated," she said in a voice laced with regret.

"You underestimate the Dark Lord, Potter," Malfoy said. "I think he is far stronger than you realise."

"And I think you underestimate me," the Elf snapped. "I know I have the power I need, I just need to learn how to control it."

"Are you anywhere close to controlling it?"

"I don't know," Eve shrugged. "But I'm not giving up. I don't have a choice anymore."

"Why not?" Malfoy tilted his head.

"Now that Harry's here, Voldemort will find out about me sooner or later and he'll come after me too," she said.

There was a moment of silence between them. Eve looked at her feet and played with her hair again. Malfoy chuckled for a second time at the sight.

"So do you feel any better?" he asked.

"Actually, yes. Thanks," she raised her head to look at him.

"Wait," Malfoy strode towards her.

Out of instinct, Eve backed away from the forcefulness of his strides but her back hit the door after about one step.

"I won't hurt you," Malfoy said, standing a foot's distance from her. He sniffed a couple of times. "You're telling the truth." He turned and went to the sofa.

Eve rolled her eyes slightly. He was treating everything like it was his home not hers.

"Do you want your feed now?" she asked.

"Yes, I would," the blond grinned and beckoned her over. His eyes gleamed with cunning mirth.

Dreading whatever he had in store for her, Eve walked over to him, ignoring her body's protests. Suddenly, Malfoy leaned forward, snatched her arm in an iron grip and pulled her onto his lap.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked.

"Getting us both comfortable," Malfoy smirked. "Don't pretend that you don't like it."

A noise of protest vibrated through Eve's lips as he moved her into a more comfortable position so she was cradled across his lap, her shoulder squished against his chest. His hold was tight, cutting off any escape but Eve only found that out after trying.

"Don't even think about it," Malfoy grinned as he gently cleared her hair away from her neck. "I'm going to take a full pint of your blood so I can transform."

"Tonight?" Eve stuttered. "You're going to transform tonight?"

"Yes. Does that scare you?"

"Y-yes."

"Then good luck," Malfoy said before biting into her through skin and muscle.

A single yelp left Eve's lips. Being no stranger to being fed off, she simply lay still, knowing that struggling would only make it hurt. She waited for the bite to become pleasurable. She had discovered that a Vampire's bite would be pleasurable to the victim so they didn't struggle or fight.

The more Malfoy drank, the harder he squeezed her, so hard she thought her bones would chatter under his monumental strength. Her own strength was fading quickly. She could feel the blood being drained from her body and emptied into his mouth but she almost didn't care. A constant pulse throbbed in her nether regions. She moaned almost silently as Malfoy's hand caressed her body, from her thigh to her shoulder.

It was more than a little lust. She _needed_ him. His touch. His bite.

Her hands grabbed fistfuls of his soft hair, begging him for something, but she wasn't sure what. With the hand caressing her body, Malfoy moved it to cup her small breast. Closing her eyes, Eve basked in the pleasure his touch brought her. Her lips parted to release another moan as his hand began to fondle her breast, gently as if he was afraid to hurt her. Lost in her own cloud of emotions, Eve didn't remember when she started to feel faint.

In his head, Malfoy knew how much to drink; he was nearly there. He had been fondling Potter's body to keep her happy and found himself to be enjoying it just as much. The girl in his grasp was going limp but she was still conscious. Just one more mouthful of blood…

It was done.

Eve regained much of her consciousness at the absence of fangs. She scrambled off Malfoy's lap, afraid that he had instantly transformed. But he looked exactly the same.

"What's happening?" she squeaked.

"I don't know," Malfoy whispered. "It's coming. I can feel it. A minute, maybe less." He pulled the Blood Replenishing potion out of his pocket and gave it to her.

Keeping her wide doe eyes fixed on him, Eve took her dose of the potion, immediately feeling healthier. Malfoy said in a stiff posture, resting his arms on his knees, just waiting.

"Malfoy-," Eve was silenced by the Newborn yelling out in pain and crumpling to the floor.

Eve's hand flew to her mouth as she watched Malfoy twist and writhe on the floor, scratching furiously at his own skin as if he was trying to let something out.

"Malfoy!" Eve cried, crawling across the sofa towards him.

"Stay back!" his voice was deeper, huskier.

He threw his head back in another scream. Eve backed away like he'd told her and watched, horrified, as he scrambled to his feet and ran out of the house. Not taking a second to think, Eve leapt up and sprinted after him, very grateful for her Elf speed. He was already quite a distance away, she could still see him though. He was heading to the forest. She cursed in her head when he disappeared through the trees and forced herself to go faster, uncaring that she could be taking herself to her own death.


	7. Chapter 7: Dominant

**A/N: Here comes a very sexy Vampire...**

Eve's lungs burned. She ducked a branch, swerved a tree and skidded to a sudden halt, using a tree to stop herself. She had come to a clearing. In the centre of the dark clearing was Malfoy, groaning and growling on his knees. The sight took her breath away.

He now easily reached 6"7 of pure power and might; his body was wider to support the expanding muscles all over his body, the most prominent on his arms, torso and legs. They rippled, bulged and flexed with every tiny movement he made. His clothes were torn to shred, not big enough to accommodate such a drastic change in height and bulk. His shirt was now completely rid of sleeves and split up the middle, revealing his abdominal and pectoral muscles that contained such raw, destructive power. His trousers had been ripped too, leaving only tight shorts that made everything rather prominent.

From a mile away, anyone could see the colour of Malfoy's eyes – a red so deep and so bright, glittering like liquid rubies; his lips were a darker shade than what they were, like they were slightly stained with blood; his features were more defined, fine as the slashes of a knife, smooth as marble.

He had transformed into a beautiful, stunning man, an angel of darkness and power. His body radiated an air of power and dominance, enough to make the most fearless person in the world want to cower and lower themselves into submission. He could bring down the Devil himself. No one would dare challenge him.

Eve was terrified. She gripped the tree next to her for support because her knees were having difficulty in holding her up.

_I made him this, _she thought, _and now he'll probably kill me._

She thought about running, her body couldn't move though. It was paralyzed in fear. No longer was he groaning in pain; it was more like pleasure as more and more power flowed into him. His hands and knees had made indents in the ground, unable to resist his colossal strength.

Tears pushed through into Eve's eyes. How would she ever have a chance of evading him? She was small, weak and delicate while Malfoy was the complete opposite. She was as good as dead, she knew it.

Her heart stopped beating altogether as Malfoy's transformation completed. Bottom lip trembling, Eve pressed her body into the tree. Moving with stunning grace for a giant, Malfoy rose to his feet and rid himself of his torn shirt. He looked up and saw the little girl cowering against a tree. Her fear made her smell even sweeter than she already did, and Malfoy didn't think that was possible. He walked towards her with a predator's elegance.

Eve had no idea what to do. Run? Fight? Try to reason with him?

_Show him you are submissive to him, _a helpful voice said in the back of her head, _do what he says._

The Elf kept her eyes on his chest, purposefully not making eye contact; she couldn't even if she wanted to. She was too scared. Those bloody, crimson eyes seemed to pierce her, their bearer asserting his dominance over her.

"You are mine, little one," the Vampire purred, bringing his finger under Eve's chin, lifting her gaze slightly.

She turned her head slightly, exposing her neck to him and a tiny whimper left her mouth. She was almost crying. Malfoy seemed to approve of her gesture, he placed his palms on the tree, trapping Eve between his arms. He was absolutely _enormous_! The girl didn't even reach his shoulder and she was almost half his width.

Malfoy studied the tiny, beautiful, fragile creature before him. To him, she was perfect. He wanted her. Bringing his head closer to hers, Malfoy whispered. "Do not fear for your life. I will not kill you, little one."

Eve shivered at the sound of his deep, silk-smooth voice and showed a little more of her neck as a sign of thanks. The Vampire smiled, quickly flashing long, pearly fangs that only promised pain. He edged forward, ghosting her body with his.

"Touch me, little one," he ordered, his voice still a whisper.

Eve dared not disobey. With her tiny hand, she touched his chest, tracing her fingers across his huge, intimidating muscles. They were smooth, hard and yet soft at the same time, like steel coated with a layer of velvet and silk. The giant seemed to enjoy her gentle touch.

"Now, kneel," he commanded.

Eve quickly pulled her hand away and sank obediently to her knees, still offering her neck, and made herself as small as possible. Her long, pointed ears folded back in submission. She bowed her head, her eyes on his bare feet.

"Good," the Vampire hummed in satisfaction.

This was good. If Eve could please him and keep him happy then things were definitely looking up.

Malfoy knelt also, still towering over her. He leaned in towards her and nuzzled her exposed neck. He felt her shiver under his powerful, possessive touch and grinned slightly.

A tear slid from Eve's eye. Malfoy looked up and wiped it away with his thumb.

"Don't cry, little one. Hush now. I will protect you," he murmured.

Eve nodded but kept her gaze on the ground, afraid of doing something wrong.

"You can look at me," Malfoy said.

Eve timidly raised her head, keeping her posture closed and small and not looking him directly in the eye. Malfoy could see the tears in her shining eyes that held such fear. Fear only added to her beauty in his, or any other Vampire's, opinion. With a large hand, he cupped her cheek and examined her gorgeous little face.

Eve shrank back from the close contact, her eyes flickering to meet his every now and then. Malfoy growled when she met his eyes for a little longer. She needed to learn her place. Eve instantly dropped her gaze and let out a little whimper, begging to be forgiven.

"You will learn, little one," Malfoy said.

He stood up, pulling her up with him and with one arm held her to his god-like body while his other hand stroked her hair. Eve let out a squeak. Her hands were flat against his chest and her neck craned to look at his face. She lay her head against him, hearing a deep rumble inside him.

"What will happen, Malfoy?" she whispered shyly.

"Don't call me that. Call me 'Draco'," he growled. "Well, you belong to me now, me and only me. You will not disobey me, or I will punish you, do you understand?"

"Yes," Eve whispered. "Can I go home?"

"You will go home when I take you home!" the Vampire snarled, snatching a fistful of her hair and yanked her head back.

Letting out a choked sob, Eve prayed for him to be calm again soon. Slowly, Draco's grip on her loosened and he pulled her back into his iron embrace, resuming his petting. The girl buried her face in his chest, which he seemed to like.

"Good girl," he cooed.

Draco let his hand wander down to Eve's hind. He caressed the curves and then gave it a little squeeze, making her jump. He chuckled softly. "I'm glad you were my First Blood."

Eve said nothing, she just continued to press her cheek into his chest, closing her eyes. They stayed that way for a few minutes, nothing but silence around them.

"Did you expect this to happen?" Eve asked.

"I knew I would be dominant over you," Draco said.

"Because you're a man?" a little more tone spiced Eve's voice.

"No," he answered stiffly. "Because I am a Vampire. Vampires are always dominant over Humans. It's the way we are. But I promise I will not treat you like you don't have thoughts or feelings. However you will obey me and if need be I shall punish you."

"Can I talk to you about something?" she asked, pushing away slightly.

Draco released her and took a step back. "Of course."

"Do you have feelings for me?" she asked, keeping her gaze below his.

"Yes, I do," Draco admitted shamelessly. "If I didn't want you I would have not made you mine, I may have even killed you. You were kind and a friend to me when I needed someone most."

"Right," she muttered.

"And am I right in thinking you have feelings for me too?" he said.

"Kind of," Eve shrugged. "I admit I did have a bit of a crush on you, but I don't think I ever felt as strongly as you do for me now."

"Well, either way you are still mine," the Vampire snarled possessively. He then sighed after a moment's pause. "Would you like to go home?"

"Yes, please," she nodded.

Draco swept her off her feet into his arms. Her own arms wrapped around his neck in a gentle embrace and she buried her face in the crook of his neck. Draco gave her cheek a little nuzzle before setting off at a brisk walk. Treating her badly would be no way to willingly gain her affections and he wanted to her affections very much.

Eve lifted her head and stared at him. He did not look at her but he knew her eyes were on him and that he'd have to put her in her place if she continued to lift her gaze to his; his dominance had only just begun and she'd have to work and wait for his level of tolerance to drop.

Meanwhile, the Elf girl was studying every inch of the Vampire's magnificently handsome face. Every part of him was strong, well-built and powerful, and for some reason it excited her as well as frightened her. Suddenly, Draco turned his head, a low growl coming through his lips. Eve instantly dropped her head back down. She hoped she wouldn't be punished for that. But she relaxed when Draco did nothing.

They were nearing the entrance of the forest, the lights of the town shone through the trees. Eve prayed that Chloe would still not be home yet.

"You're worried about something," Draco said calmly. "What is it?"

"Oh, um," she began, totally unprepared for his question.

"Is it me?" he asked.

"No, I just hope my aunt isn't home yet," she replied. "And you're not wearing any clothes apart from your shorts," she added.

"I must enlarge my clothes, or they will all rip to pieces," Draco noted to himself.

The town was close now.

"Draco, wait," Eve murmured.

He stopped and looked down at her, his enthralling eyes piercing her like arrows. "Yes, little one?"

"I think I should from here. Someone will see you."

"Very well. I shall come to you tonight," it was not a question.

"Okay," she nodded in defeat. "I'll see you soon." She placed a little, shy kiss to Draco's cheek as he let her down.

The Vampire let out a soft purr of contentment. He watched her with sharp eyes as she made her way towards her home. He did not like leaving her; he wanted her at his side, in his arms, in his possession.

Eve walked quickly, hoping the house would still be empty. It was dark now, which didn't bode well for her. It was most likely her family were home. Approaching the front door, Eve cleared her messy hair out of her face, the very thin strands clinging to her forehead.

Her stomach twisted as she hooked her finger under the latch and gently pushed the door open. The house was quiet. Letting out a sigh of relief, Eve added more confidence to her step, and closed the door behind her. She went straight to the sofa and let her legs give out under her. Her small body eased back into the plush cushions. Shutting her eyes, the satisfaction of her body relaxing washed over her.

"There you are," came Chloe's voice.

Eve jumped out of her skin and, with a startled gasp, she opened her eyes and jerked her head towards her aunt, who had silently come down the stairs. Chloe smiled. "Where have you been?"

"Went for a walk," the girl lied, using her shocked state to mask it.

"Have you eaten?" Chloe asked.

"No, but I'm not very hungry," Eve said.

"Well if you get peckish later you can always help yourself," the High General said, beginning to make dinner for her sons.

"Will do. I'm gonna go to my room," she got up and carried herself up the stairs to her room.

Once inside, Eve locked her door; she certainly didn't want anyone walking in if Draco was there. It would be a lot of explaining to do. Unsure of whether he was near or not, Eve cautiously stepped to the window, which was open slightly.

"Draco?" she whispered softly. "Are you there?"

When there was no answer Eve turned away with a quiet sigh. She picked up her hair brush and quickly brushed through her coal-black locks. It didn't take long to untie the few knots in her hair and she laid the hairbrush back down when she was finished.

Just then, a chilling gust of wind struck her in the back, making the hairs on the back of her neck and arms stand on end. Eve turned around. The window was wide open, the curtains were blowing back in the gale but the room was still empty. Within seconds, Eve's heart rate increased to almost double its normal speed. Ungracefully, she half ran to the window, only to be met with another blast of wind to her face.

Nothing was out there. Not that she could see anyway. Whilst battling to keep her hands steady, Eve closed the window.

"Looking for me?"

A large pair of arms locked around her little body, trapping her against a wide, bare chest. Eve screamed and tried to struggle but Draco didn't take any notice her pitiful attempts to free herself; he found it more amusing than irritating. Suddenly Eve realised that the high pitched sound that had just come out of her mouth would surely be heard by anyone else in the house.

"Let me go! Let me go!" she cried, fighting with all her might.

"Oh, do stop already. No one can hear us. I placed a silencing charm around your room," Draco told her.

He waited patiently until the girl calmed down and stopped moving.

"Finished, little one?" he smirked, turning her delicate form in his arms to face him.

"You're still only wearing shorts," Eve pointed out, not looking him in the eye.

"I know," the Vampire said. "I'm hungry, my little butterfly."

With that Draco scooped her up and lay them both down on her bed, his body shadowing hers with its superior size and bulk. It made her feel tiny and completely helpless. One of Draco's arms was wrapped around Eve's shoulders while the other completed her prison. He leaned close to her. Eve offered her neck, her submissive side taking control.

Purring in approval, Draco nuzzled the smooth flesh with his nose and took a deep breath in. His fangs extended, the tips disturbingly sharp. Eve gulped. He was almost on top of her now but his body was not touching hers. The grip surrounding her tightened and Draco sunk his aching fangs through the feeble, wafer-thin barrier of skin between them and the mouth-watering liquid beneath.

Eve clung to him desperately around the neck in hope of subsiding the pain until the bite became pleasurable. She still had control over her conscience, her body not so much. Her leg locked around Draco's hulking body, pulling him closer. The girl moaned at the added weight on top of her. It felt – truthfully – good. Above her, the feeding beast growled in pleasure. He ran his hand between the valley of her legs, making her shiver beneath him, and that only made him even more lustful than before.

Draco lifted his stained mouth when he'd had enough to drink and licked his lips clean. He placed rough, hungry kisses along Eve's neck and prominent collar bone. Slowly, Eve was regaining control of her body, though she did nothing to stop the passionate assault on her body. A part of her _wanted _Draco to continue.

Her body arched into his. With thin, delicate arms, she pulled the Vampire fully on top of her, spreading her legs so he could mould into the curves of her body. She had to spread her legs very wide to accommodate the bulky young man. Her feet were level with his lower thigh, just above his knee joint.

Draco was still working on her neck and shoulders, unsure of whether to go up or down but to keep the girl happy, his tongue darted out and licked her collar bone, never being sloppy. Deciding to be more gentlemanly, Draco's kisses trailed up to Eve's face. She shrank back into the pillow, avoiding his kiss to her lips.

"No," she protested weakly.

But Draco wasn't having that. He grasped her chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing her to look at him. "You'll do as I command." He pressed more weight down on her, and it wasn't until then that Eve realised how little weight he was putting on her before.

"Draco, please," she begged. "I don't want to."

"No, you are too afraid to," he corrected her. His crimson eyes glowed with a frightening, but strangely exciting, mixture of possessiveness and dominance. "Are you afraid of me, Eve?"

"Y-yes," she whispered.

"Good," Draco slurred. "How afraid? A little afraid? Quite afraid? Terrified?"

"Terrified," Eve answered, her body quivering.

"Excellent," he purred into her neck. "Now… kiss me."

Accepting defeat, Eve arched her neck and brought her smooth, rosy lips to Draco's. He had taken her first kiss. Oddly, it was like Draco knew this and he restrained himself, remaining soft and tender. His lips caressed hers as they held her to him. Both his arms found their way underneath her, one hand moved to hold her head while the other snaked around her waist. Eve would not lie; it was a wonderful first kiss.

"Good girl," Draco whispered huskily. "But refuse me again and I will punish you. You belong to me and you will do as I tell you."

"You wouldn't," Eve muttered without thinking.

"What?" he asked in a rather bored tone.

"You wouldn't punish me," her tongue ran ahead of her brain.

The blond raised an eyebrow before growling, "Oh, really?"

Eve knew she was in for it now. In a last attempt to please him, she turned her head to the side to offer her neck to him. It was no use.

Using his supernatural speed, Draco moved his body up so that their hips met in a painful contact. He pushed down. Hard. Eve screamed out in pain but no one could hear her. She felt his erection pressing into her groin. It only added to the pain. Draco collapsed on top of her, releasing a great deal of his body weight onto her. He was crushing her whole body, and it didn't seem to be requiring any effort.

Sucking in a deep breath, Eve tried to get enough oxygen around her body. Blurry dots were already appearing in her vision.

"Please stop," she choked.

Draco did not listen.

"Draco, please."

Still nothing.

"Draco, please stop it," she begged with the last of her voice.

"Beg," Draco growled.

Taking the biggest breath possible, Eve managed to croak, "Pl-Please… I beg y-you."

Draco eased his weight and then rolled off her, resuming his original position – curled around her. Eve clutched her stomach, gasping in breath after breath of air.

"Like I said, you will learn," Draco said. "I don't want to hurt you, I just want you to surrender to me." He began softly stroking her hair.

_Don't upset him, _the unknown voice in her head advised. _You'll regret it._

Eve turned her body to face Draco's, letting him adjust to her position. He came very close to her, pulling her into his arms. She lay her palms on his broad chest and her head on his bicep. Draco's body almost engulfed her, but she, strangely, liked it. Snuggling into the giant, she closed her eyes and gave her body a chance of much needed rest.

"Goodnight, my little flower," Draco whispered and planted a tender kiss on her forehead.

**A/N: So lets have some reviews! Don't be afriad. I love hearing people's opinions!**

**Love and hugs xxx And a merry Christmas!**


	8. Chapter 8: Za'rocaella's Prophecy

**A/N: Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter, hope you all enjoy. **

The bleak, lifeless sun shone, forlornly, through the window, only just lighting the room with its feeble rays. The unwanted day had begun; a day of stillness and plain white clouds. The fragile sunlight softly flickered over the body of a young maiden, delicately lighting her golden tinted skin. A soft groan resonated around the room, and, from a dreamless sleep, Eve awoke.

Eve was not really a morning person. Dusk and night time were her favourite times of the day. She lifted her head, and found herself to be alone. Where had Draco gone? Slowly, to avoid a head rush, she sat up and looked around the room. It was empty, aside from her.

_Of course, _she reminded herself, _the sun isn't good for Vampires. He probably left at dawn._

For a moment, Eve sat completely still, her mind wandering back to the previous night. A shiver ran down her spine. She quickly banished all those thoughts from her mind; she had more important things to do. Taking a breath, she settled her mind back into her usual routine. She washed, got appropriately dressed, went downstairs and prepared herself breakfast, then departed to the training grounds.

Keeping herself busy would distract her from last night.

As she approached, Eve's eyes were instantly drawn to her uncle Thiazzi, who was training alone, just how he liked it. She knew he wouldn't mind if she bothered him for a little while, he never did.

"Good morning, Evelina," Thiazzi greeted.

"Morning," she replied. "Have you seen Belle?"

"I'm afraid not, Remmera is in the stables though. Are you up for another training session this afternoon?" he asked.

Eve's insides flinched. "Sure."

Talking about her magic, even the mention of it, made her feel useless. She was nowhere near gaining control over it. She failed every time she tried.

"You mustn't give up, Evelina," her uncle said. "Just because you don't get something at first doesn't mean you won't get it at all."

"What use will I be to Harry if I cannot help him at all?"

"This magic is not your only strength. You can use similar magic as he, you have control over the Earth element, you can ride and fight like a warrior," Thiazzi encouraged her.

"This is not a warrior's war. Our war is, Harry's isn't," Eve shrugged. "And he's far too precious about people's lives. He doesn't seem to understand that people will die in a war, horrible as it may be."

"Death is never easy Eve," he spoke wisely.

"You think I don't know that," she snapped.

"Do you honestly want to help him?" the older Elf asked.

"Well," she began uneasily.

"So not entirely," Thiazzi cut in. "Then why are you helping him?"

"He is my brother after all and I feel morally bound to help him. It's the right thing to do. It's just, this is not my war and I would never have known that I had a brother if it weren't for this war. I feel like that's the only reason we were brought together," Eve confessed. "But Harry's fight will never come before our fight. Never."

"Have you told Harry this?" he asked.

"Yes. He said that he didn't want me to feel like I was being used. I know it's not his fault and yet I am angry at him, as though it is his fault."

"There is nothing wrong with feeling the way you do. My advice would be keep training in all your areas, keep your friends close and never let your loyalties be stolen from you for someone else's benefit," Thiazzi lay a strong hand on her shoulder.

Eve looked up at him and held his eyes for a few seconds. "I will," she whispered.

Stepping back, the girl turned and walked away. She didn't go to Remmera; she wanted to be alone and think. She travelled to the river and sat herself down in a secreted corner, where no one would find her. Leaning back against the cold, hard rock, Eve let out a sigh.

She was lost.

So, so lost.

To help herself, she mapped things out in her head: she would keep training, like Thiazzi had said, and master her skills as best as she could; and using those skills she would help Harry, but she would always place her own fights first; she would keep close to her friends, also as Thiazzi had advised. That thought led her to Draco, she could not tell them about Draco, or could she?

Draco was another problem entirely. A young, unsuitable, lustful Vampire that had a crush on her. Just what she needed! Eve admitted that she did have a bit of a crush on him, but it in no way meant she loved him. It could have been worse though; he could have chosen to kill her but he didn't.

Her hands seemed prepared to catch her head. Last night had been… something else entirely. A mistake most likely. She had resorted to her ultimate defence. She was not ashamed of it because otherwise things could have gone very badly for her.

What was even worse was that she had almost enjoyed parts of it. She didn't love Draco! She supposed it could have been she liked the feeling of comfort he gave her when he held her or something like that. She had no idea what to do about that either.

_Just do what Thiazzi said,_ she thought, _You can pull through. You're a fighter. You _will _pull through._

About an hour later, Eve made her way back to the training ground, feeling quite a bit better after her think with herself. Chloe had always taught her to do her best to be positive. Unlike earlier, the training ground was now buzzing with Elves, young and older.

Eve scanned for her group of friends. Once she had found them, she walked briskly over to them. Lartia Harasia, who was her regular trainer, was going over foot work with the four young Elves, moving with them in sync. Lartia was fairly tall for a female Elf standing at 5"8; she had long, dark brown hair and wise deep brown eyes, like an owl. This was a little odd considering her element was Water, meaning her eyes should have been blue, green or turquoise. But they were brown.

"Decided to join us at last?" Lartia said without turning to face Eve.

"That's none of your concern," Eve bit out in a low voice.

"Well you're here now. Go get your sword," Lartia instructed.

With a slight brooding face worn, Eve turned on her heels and went to retrieve her sword. Eve had always liked the armoury. The display of magnificent weapons was a sight full of pride, for Eve anyway. Each person's weapons were kept together, their emblem or title hanging on the wall above so you knew which weapons belonged to which person.

Eve's weapons were stored fifth on the right, between Belle's and Tristan's. Above them hung a little shield, divided into four, one pair of diagonals were coloured a deep, glistening silver while the other pair were the colour of the richest amethyst. On the right side of the shield was the head and chest of a doe. Mirroring it, on the other side was the head and chest of a tiger.

Eve's full title was 'The Doe with a Tigerhart' but it was shortened to either 'The Doe' or 'Tigerhart'.

Reaching out, Eve pulled down her sword. It was a crimson hued blade with an amethyst pommel; the grip was curled and the guard resembled a pair of wings. She'd had the same sword since she was seven years old; it was almost like a friend to her. She adored its name, though she did not choose it herself: Za'rocaella. It came from the word 'Za'ro' meaning 'fade', the word 'cae' meaning 'of' and the word 'aellia' meaning 'innocence'.

Each sword carried a prophecy for their mistress or master. Eve had read hers countless times and still did not know what its riddle meant.

_Dun amil cae umberaa, dun amil cae parvenn, dun amil cae vescurae boe dakaos; dun izruuasine kapiam._

Eve looked at the curly writing engraved on the blade for a few moments. But now was not the time to be solving riddles, now was the time to train.

Belle walked with Eve to the meadow for her lesson with Thiazzi.

"I worry about you, you know," Belle said.

"Why?" Eve turned her head.

"That you won't be the warrior you could be."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You told me yourself that you could never take a life," the princess said. "What warrior never takes a live? Especially the leader of the army?"

"Well, I'll worry about that when I actually become leader of the army." Eve dismissed the subject. Belle was right - Eve had never taken a life and didn't have plans to change that.

"You're a bloody hypocrite, you know that," Belle told her casually. "You say that people are going to get hurt and die in wars and that it is inevitable, and yet you refuse to kill yourself. You can be too soft."

"And you want me to simply banish my emotions and kill like I have no emotion at all?" Eve challenged.

"No, but if you're going to survive in our world, you cannot be afraid to kill."

"I'm not afraid to kill. I just don't want to," Eve corrected. "I don't want to talk about this."

"Your loss," Belle muttered.

Eve rolled her eyes in irritation. "Can we not have a normal conversation like we used to? Not about the Durzians or Harry or my power or my future as High General."

"Things have changed. It seems our childhood days are over," Belle seemed sad all of a sudden.

"What do you mean?" Eve asked.

"I overheard my father talking last night. He said the Durzians are planning an attack on the town and that we're now old enough to fight in the battle," she said.

"Oh," was all Eve could say. She hadn't been expecting that.

"So, you're going to have to worry about killing someone a little sooner than you thought," the blue eyed girl's eyes narrowed in spite.

"Very funny," Eve scowled.

They had reached the meadow by now. Thiazzi was waiting for Eve in the very centre, standing perfectly still.

"I'll see you later," Belle said as she turned away.

"See ya," Eve muttered.

After dropping Eve off in the meadow, Belle decided to take the forest route back to Rivermoor. Their conversation had left her rather irritated. She had purposely left the subject of Vampire, or any subject surrounding it, untouched. Eve could not know what she was planning.

Eve did annoy her sometimes. She was so touchy about killing someone. It was not a pleasant thing, of course not, but in the state of the kingdom it was necessary. Belle knew that Eve would willingly give her life for their fight but she would not kill for it. An odd soldier she was.

Eve had always had great capability and power, she was just too gentle to use it. If it had been Belle who had that power, she would use it.

Belle halted.

Everything had gone silent. The birds, the animals, even the trees had muted their sound, and Belle knew that wasn't good. Her body tensed, she looked around cautiously. She could see nothing out of the ordinary. Closing her eyes, she reached out with her mind, sensing the other minds around her. She sensed the birds in the trees and the little herd of deer first, but as she reached out further, her mind touched two far, far stronger consciousness's.

She pulled back immediately. They were not people she knew. There was something different… darker about them. Her gut instinct told her to flee but she was too curious. Belle swore to herself that she would be cautious and run at the first sign of danger.

She slowly reached out again to locate the two mystery minds. They were close and they were also moving quickly. Opening her eyes once more, Belle accelerated straight into a jog in the direction she had sensed them. The trace took her deep into the woods.

The two minds were very close now and yet Belle could not see the people they belonged to. She went on a little further. She ducked a low branch and abruptly skidded to a halt.

A man was running, running as fast as he could. His face was contorted with fear and fury. Belle stepped back and concealed herself from sight. Luckily he was not running towards her; however he appeared to be running from something else.

The young princess looked behind him in search of his pursuer. She saw none. Then what was chasing him? She looked back to the running man, who didn't seem to be slowing down. Suddenly, a deep, horrible sound echoed throughout the trees, making the ground tremble. It was like hundreds of bones being cracked. Belle covered her ears, cursing her sharp hearing, and jerked her head in the direction of the sound. Her mouth was left an 'O' of shock. She braced herself for what was about to come next. She gripped the nearest thing for support and closed her eyes tight. What could have done that? _Who _could have done that?

Then came the next awful tremor, a thousand times worse than the first. The sound must have stretched for miles around. Belle's eyes darted to the man. He had just managed to miss the tallest branches but he had stumbled and almost fallen on the impact.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, Belle saw a figure leap up onto the thick trunk but by the time her head had fully turned they were gone, all she caught was a whiff of pale hair.

"Oh, fuck," she muttered.

Eve was doing very well that afternoon. Thiazzi had begun with exercises to warm up her mind, like a physical warm up before exercise. He had noticed she was very determined, and it was boding well for her. The messages she sent to her untamed magic were clear as still water.

They were working with only small amounts of Eve's magic and, so far, things were going well. The magic was starting to listen to her rather than having to be forced back down with fear. Her fear of Draco was working like a charm.

They repeated the exercise over and over again until Eve had gained control over the small amount of magic she was arousing.

"Fantastic, Evelina," Thiazzi praised. "This is brilliant progress. See? You can do it."

Eve pulled out of her mind, returning to the physical world, and smiled up at her uncle. Her heart was warmed by her achievement.

"I want to do more," Eve said eagerly.

"You'll have to wait until tomorrow. Your mind needs time to rest and absorb everything it's learnt. And beside it'll be dark soon," Thiazzi said.

"Oh," she whined like a young child.

Thiazzi merely chuckled at her response. "I will see you tomorrow. Have a good evening, Evelina."

Eve got to her feet and brushed herself down. "I'll see you later."

He gave her a small wave and watched her disappear into the forest before sitting cross-legged and began to meditate.

Eve strolled leisurely through the woods with a bounce in her step, her chest still buzzing with pride. Her mood had lifted over a mile. In no time she'd be able to control all of her power and actually be able to do some good. She could help so many people if her powers had the potential her uncle Asriel said they did, the power to prevent death.

She didn't really care where she went; she was in too much of a good mood. Her path twined regularly, taking her deeper and deeper into the forest. It was only just dusk and there was still plenty of light in the woods. Eve stopped suddenly, surprised how she could have not noticed sooner. Before her was a fallen tree, a gigantic tree, probably one of the largest in the forest. And it had fallen over. How?

"You seem happy."

Eve turned around, a loud gasp coming from her mouth. Her heart stopped for her second and her doe eyes were wide in fright.

"It's only me," Draco held up his palms to her. He was dressed completely in black, his hair was a little ruffled and his eyes had a predatory spark lurking in them.

Letting out a breath, Eve's body relaxed slightly. "What are you doing out here? It's still light."

Draco shrugged. "It's getting dark and the trees provide shelter enough. I'm sorry I had to leave you this morning. You can work out why."

"Oh, no don't worry about it," the girl shook her head. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I suppose," Draco answered half-heartedly. "Come here." His eyes lit up with possessiveness.

Eve shouldn't have been surprised. She knew it would be coming. Lowering her gaze, she approached the handsome giant. A soft purr left his lips as he took her in his arms and pressed her against his body. He then chuckled softly.

"What is it?" Eve asked meekly.

"You're so small," he grinned. "How tall are you?"

"Five foot three," Eve bit out reluctantly. "You're like six foot six or something, aren't you?"

"Six foot _seven_," Draco corrected her with a tap on her nose.

"Sorry," Eve smiled. "Six foot seven."

Draco chuckled again. "Do you have some time?"

"What for?" Eve asked suspiciously.

"Answer my question, little girl," his grip on her tightened.

"Y-yes, I have some time," she trembled. "Can I ask why?"

"I want to get to know you," Draco said, moving them both to the fallen tree.

He lifted Eve up and sat her on the trunk, then leapt up with ease and sat beside her, his body angled towards her but not quite touching her. "Tell me about yourself, my little beauty."

"Um," Eve wasn't sure where to begin. "Anything you particularly want to know?"

"I want to know everything about you. Where you grew up. What you like and dislike. Your fears and soft spots. Begin with how you grew up," Draco said.

"Well, I've, er, always lived in Rivermoor, except before Voldemort killed my parents and I lived with them and Harry. But I can't remember anything from that part of my life. Um, I was adopted by Chloe Rider and was made her heir so I'll have to lead the army when I'm older – I haven't really thought about that. I don't know what I want to do with my life," Eve said and then paused.

"You can do many things," Draco said softly. "Do you want to be a soldier?"

"In some ways, yes, in other ways, no. In some respects, I don't have much of a choice, given the state Aseridia is in. I've always had an interest in music and I do play and write it but it's not what I want to do with my whole life. Er, I was seven when I began my training. By then I was already close friends with Belle, the king's daughter and my adopted cousin, but it was where I met my other friends. We trained together over the years, getting closer and closer."

"What were you best at? Come on, tell me everything," Draco prompted.

"I was always good at horse riding – my horse is called Leveran - and fairly good at archery. My weakness is… weakness actually. But 'cos I'm small it means I'm fast and pretty agile, but I'm not strong at all," Eve told him, making him grin. She paused, thinking of what to tell him next.

She didn't want to bore him but his face remained sharp, keen and interested. He nodded for her to continue. She decided to tell him about her fears and 'soft spots' as he had put it.

"As you know, I'm scared of Vampires, not to mention… you," she looked down shyly. "I have a fear of generally power greater than mine, the feeling that I'm helpless and can't defend myself against what I'm facing. I'm pretty scared of clowns and other kinds of painted faces. Ugh, they just creep me out," she shuddered, thinking of them. "Belle tells me I'm too soft hearted and that I won't make a good enough soldier if I cannot take a life. She's right, I could never kill. I can wound and fight, but I can never kill. She says I'm too kind."

Eve let out a sigh.

"And I wish I didn't have such strong morals sometimes."

Draco tilted his head in slight confusion.

"I almost wish I hadn't agreed to help Harry when our battle is not the same. I'm successor to the High General. The last thing I need is another battle. But I felt morally bound to help him," she explained to him, her good mood drained away. "I don't want to talk anymore."

"Very well," Draco nodded as he sensed her sadness.

Eve looked away, her ears lowered in her gloomy mood. Draco closed the distance between them and pulled the tiny girl onto his lap. He nuzzled her cheek with his nose.

"It's all right. I did not mean to bring this out in you, forgive me," he apologised.

Eve turned her face towards his chest. "It's not your fault. Belle told me earlier that I'm now old enough to fight in a battle and will fight in the upcoming one."

Draco's arms tightened protectively around her. He let out a low, soft growl that caused his chest to rumble.

"Draco," Eve began slowly, "you can't stop me doing this. I've been training for eight years and have no reason not to fight."

The Vampire's growl became stronger, making Eve hunch her shoulders in submission. "Yes, you do. You do not want to fight. You might get hurt."

"That's a war for you," she muttered.

"No one can make you fight a battle," he said.

"It's not that I don't want to as such – I mean no one _wants _to have to fight a battle but our fight has always been to keep our clan free, and I want to defend our lands. This is a war I want to fight, it's my war," she whispered. "Don't stop me fighting it."

"You're right," Draco admitted, his voice soft and deep. "I cannot and will not take this away from you. Just promise me you will be careful." He buried his nose in her hair.

"I never knew you cared so much," Eve said, touched by his kindness.

"I care very greatly for you, Evelina, and I am not afraid to show it. And I can only hope that you will, in time, grow to care for me," he murmured.

Eve looked up into his eyes, saying nothing; her own eyes said more than enough. Draco didn't growl quite yet to put her back in her place, he let her gaze into his eyes, studying her as she did him. He could see the kindness and affection swirling in those deep green pools, mixed within innocence and fear.

He watched sharply as she blinked slowly and took a second to look at her long, dark eyelashes. His predatory gaze trailed down her young, shy face, landing on her slightly parted lips. With a large hand, he cupped her cheek gently and traced her skin in circles with his thumb.

He lowered a kiss to her forehead, then guided her head down back to its original submissive position, moving her gaze to his chest.

Eve wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you."

Draco gave a grin and a small chuckle. He rested his chin on her head, curling her against his torso. "You're welcome, my beauty."

Complete stillness surrounded them for a little while; the only sounds were Eve's breathing and Draco's low growling.

Eve dropped her eyes, suddenly remembering they were sitting on the fallen tree, the tree that should never have fallen over. It was very odd. The tree was not old and had not been fallen for a very long time, she could tell. The leaves on the branches were still rich and green; only moss coated the roots, not the whole trunk like the trees that had fallen in their time.

"Oh, that was me," Draco interrupted her train of thoughts.

"What?" Eve's jaw dropped.

Rolling his eyes, Draco closed her mouth again by pushing her chin back up with his finger, and then repeated, "I did this."

"In god's name why?" Eve demanded. "For fun or—,"

"No, I was after Damien, my sire's mate," he told her.

Eve quickly remembered that Damien had managed to escape on the night Draco was changed… and the night Draco murdered Damien's lover, Alec.

"He wants revenge. He wants to kill you because he knows it is impossible to kill me now I am so powerful."

"I had guessed as such," Eve said weakly. Of course Damien would want revenge for his lover's death.

She knew Draco would surely seek revenge if she were killed.

"Why didn't you catch him?" she asked, bewildered.

"He escaped into the sunlight. I couldn't go after him," Draco paused, "and that's why I couldn't save her."

Eve knelt on Draco's lap, raising her face to the same level as his. She didn't care that it went against her obedient side and Draco's snarl of warning. "Who? Who couldn't you save?"

"I believe it to have been this Belle girl," he said.

Eve felt like she'd received a winding punch in the gut. Her heart shrivelled inside her chest and her stomach twisted. "What?" she managed to barely whisper. "Why…Why…Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I was unaware of your connection to her and then you asked as to why I was after Damien and I couldn't catch him," Draco defended. In total honesty, he had also simply forgotten and focused more on his Human.

Eve pushed him away. "I have to find her. Damien could have hurt her."

"Evelina, no," he said firmly, keeping her tight to his chest despite her frantic struggles. "He will keep her alive. He must know that she is connected to you and will be using her as bait to get to you. You cannot go."

"Draco, let me go!" the Elf cried, fighting with all her might and ferocity.

"I said no," he growled.

"Come with me," she tried to reason with him. "I'll be safe with you and we can rescue Belle. Draco, please, I cannot leave her."

"You will be walking straight into a trap. If I go with you then the princess with find out about me and my secret will be out to everyone. The king can send a search party out for her, or something. But you are not going," he told her firmly.

"No, no!" the girl yelled out in protest. "I can't just leave her. What if he's hurting her to get to me?"

"You cannot give in to that," Draco moved her down so she was forced to look up at him again. "You will never win against me, my little butterfly. I should punish you for your disobedience, but I won't." He held Eve until she exhausted herself and finally collapsed against him.

"You can't just expect me to leave her at Damien's mercy. She is strong but there is no doubt he is much stronger. She would never leave me. Draco, let me go please," she begged.

To show him good will and submission, she tilted her neck to the side and never raised her gaze above his chest.

"I have told you, no," Draco repeated. "And like I said, he'll probably be keeping her alive. This is all to get to you, little one. He wants me to feel the loss he felt when I murdered his lover. He will kill you."

Eve lowered her head even more, and let the tears come. She could not leave her beloved cousin, could she? Draco underestimated her. She could save Belle. She could and she would. She wouldn't let Draco stop her.

**A/N: So come on, what do we think? **

**Love and hugs xxx**


	9. Chapter 9: Greeks and the Gunpowder Plot

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it.**

Eve had remained quiet as a lamb as Draco had carried her to her home, pretending to accept that she could not go and rescue her cousin Belle. Draco had seemed to fall for it. Like they had done the previous night, Draco left Eve to enter her house alone and then came up to her window so he could spend the night with her. She would wait until dawn when he had to leave and then begin her search.

Eve was reluctant to get changed with Draco in the room. She stood awkwardly still, waiting for him to do or say something.

"Are you going to undress?" he folded his arms across his chest.

"Er, no," Eve said, her cheeks flushing furiously.

Draco sighed and marched over to her. His astonishing and intimidating height and sheer size made her want to cower back, but she only retreated back a single step.

"Do I have to undress you then?" he said mockingly. He bent down to her level, speaking to her as if she were a small child.

"I'd rather you didn't," Eve weakly protested.

"I'll be gentle, I promise," he whispered seductively in her ear. "As long as you cooperate," he added.

Biting her lip, the girl glanced down at her feet, unsure if whether to refuse again or let him do as he wanted. But Draco was not going to wait. Gently, as he'd promised, the blond slowly pulled her arm guards off her wrists and tossed them to the floor. They were rather thin, unlike those that went with her armour.

Eve opened her mouth to protest but Draco placed his finger to her lips. "Shh." It was a very soft command, but a command nonetheless.

He moved to her belt next. He had to focus a little more on that because his fingers were rather large but very capable all the same. The long shirt-dress that Eve was wearing now flowed freely, no longer hugging her petite waist.

Eve couldn't stop herself shaking. She was not ready for Draco to see her body. A little part of her was afraid that he wouldn't like it.

"Arms up," he purred, lifting her long shirt.

As the fabric was pulled away, Eve felt the cold land on her skin like the first layer of snow to the ground. She was surprised just how gentle Draco was being with her, especially when she had a basic understanding of what he was capable of.

"Beautiful," he groaned. His eyes roamed her body, bleeding with lust and desire.

He trailed his gaze down from her elegant neck to her prominent collar and then to her breasts, still clad with a bra. A low groan tightened his throat. They were young and firm, a little small but her tiny size made that less noticeable.

"You're terrified," Draco observed as he glanced into her eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you. Just surrender. You belong to me, remember?"

"Draco, please," the quivering girl begged. "Please, stop."

"Don't you like this?" his voice became deeper, darker. "Do not fight me, my little tiny butterfly, or I shall put you where you belong. Beneath me, squirming under my body while I do all manner of things to you. But as you see, I am not doing that. In my compassion and mercy I have allowed you more freedom than a Vampire normally would allow in the early days of dominance. You should be grateful."

Eve's bottom lip trembled. She hadn't noticed that she had started to cry.

"Sit on the end of your bed," Draco ordered.

She did so immediately in a desperate attempt to please him. The Vampire knelt down and took off her shoes, and then slowly pulled down her trousers. He took a good long look at her perfectly smooth, hairless legs. Eve had had them removed when she was younger. Having black hair meant she was cursed with darker hair. A simple spell had got rid of any unwanted hair on her body. For that she was eternally grateful.

Draco's eyes trailed up, lighting up with delight as he got the chance to look at her slender hips, and a little below as well. He took her hands and pulled her to her feet once more. "Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

Eve looked down at him (which was an extremely rare thing). She was unsure of where to place her eyes. Their closeness unnerved her.

Draco gracefully encircled her in his arms, pulling her towards him. One hand cupped her hind while the other held her waist. He placed the most gentle of kisses to her stomach. It was enough to make her shiver. Her hands clenched at her sides, trying to supress any impact his actions had on her.

Draco kissed again, this time just below her breasts. "You have the beauty of Aphrodite," he murmured into her skin.

"Draco," she whispered through a gentle sob.

He answered in a soft growl.

"I'm cold," she pleaded, her real intention masked.

Draco drew himself up to his full height, towering over the young Elf. He could easily terrify a fearless warrior with his size, not to mention a shy little girl.

"Are you now?" he whispered.

With lightning speed, he threw them both down onto the bed, shaking it with their impact. A piercing scream tore from Eve's mouth, but no one could hear her. In the time of a blink, Draco had bound her in his arms, humming in dominance.

"How about now?" he taunted her.

"Can I put my nightgown on please?" she begged, offering her neck to him.

Draco looked away, pretending to be in deep thought. Slowly, his mouth lifted into his smirk and he turned back to the Elf. "If you kiss me."

Eve nodded. She held her head steady as his soft, demanding lips descended onto hers. They held onto her tightly, pushing against her mouth. His tongue slipped out and quickly swiped across her bottom lip.

Draco knew he would get inside whether she accepted or not, he just wanted to ask nicely first.

Knowing better than to resist, Eve willingly opened her mouth. She kissed him with blind abandon. Her small hands entwined around his neck while she fought back against his aggressive, hungry kiss.

Their tongues danced together, taking care not to prick on Draco's fangs.

When satisfied with her effort, Draco pulled away. Eve sucked in a deep breath, repaying her oxygen debt. She bowed her head down into his chest.

"Very good, my beauty," Draco praised her. He got up from the bed and threw her nightgown to her.

Eve changed into it and pulled her bra out through the short sleeve, much to Draco's liking; she could tell from his raised eyebrow.

Smirking, the Vampire lay back down on her bed, holding his arms open as an invitation. Eve timidly lay next him and rested her head against his chest. His hold was warm; it engulfed her body and shielded her from the evening's cold. Eve enjoyed her time in Draco's arms that night.

At sunrise the next morning, Eve was roused by Draco getting up. Head foggy with sleep, Eve lifted her head and opened her eyes into slits. She immediately cursed herself. Now he knew she was awake.

"Go back to sleep, my butterfly," he whispered. "I will see you again at dusk." He placed the ghost of a kiss to her forehead, and he was gone.

It was very tempting to go back to sleep. Eve did not like early rises! But she could not waste a second for Belle. Stiff boned, she forced her sleepy body up. She rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times. Eve stretched her legs, managing to loosen her limbs before she stood.

A quick shake and her body came to life.

Eve dressed as quickly as she could, logic and reason gone out the window. She would have to stop by the armoury and collect Za'rocaella.

Eve was stupid but she was not _that _stupid.

As silently as a ghost, she tiptoed downstairs, not bothering to eat anything, and slipped out the door. Breaking into a run, Eve made her way to the armoury, fast as her legs could carry her.

By now the sun had peeped over the tree tops; Draco could not stop her now. The armoury was in sight. Eve kept her pace up until she reached it. She took a second to catch her breath and pushed open the heavy doors. Fifth on the right hung her crimson sword. Below, and less significantly shown, was her dagger, a handsome and slender silver blade.

Eve took that too; it could be useful. On the outside of her boots a sheath designed for her dagger. She slipped it inside and then took down Za'rocaella, strapping the weapon to her belt.

Her next destination was the stable.

She crept inside, bringing her finger to her lips to keep the horses quiet. They understood this kind of gesture, as well as speech.

Deciding she did not have enough time, Eve only tacked Leveran up in a bridle and a saddle cloth, leaving out the saddle. She led him out of the stables and mounted him, at the same time explaining that they were looking for Belle.

She rode to the meadow. It was quiet there, not clouded with countless minds that would get in the way of Eve finding Belle. Gently pulling on the reins and sitting back, Eve slowed Leveran to a halt, closed her eyes and focused her mind.

She found the forest animals first, but no sign of her cousin. Summoning her energy, she plunged deeper, silently calling out. Still nothing.

Eve tried again and again. She knew there was something else she could try. It was a dangerous risk though.

She remembered the flood of emotions she'd felt when Draco told her Belle had been taken. The anger, the sorrow, the fear, the determination.

Her magic flickered.

_Please, _she pleaded with it, _help me. We can work together. Help me find Belle._

Her body recoiled at the feeling of swirling inside of her. As her magic grew stronger, the further she was able to reach with her mind. Just a little bit more.

Suddenly, her mind touched something.

Belle.

She had found her!

Not wasting a second, Eve kicked Leveran in the sides, urging him into a gallop. Now on her way, Eve could take a moment to think. There had been something odd surrounding Belle's mind. It was almost like it was masking her, because she was not too far away. Less than an hour's ride away.

The forest was a blur around her. Every shade of green and brown seemed to all blend with each other. It was like running through a dream.

Near an hour later, Eve could sense Belle's presence without the help of her magic. The princess was close indeed but Eve couldn't pin point her location. She knew Damien was clever and probably did this on purpose. Well, she had walked into his trap. She had to for Belle.

They came across very dense forest, not big enough for a horse to fit through. Eve dismounted.

"If there is any danger then go without me," she told Leveran. "If you can, leave a hoof mark in the ground so I know you've gone and you're safe. Otherwise wait here." She kissed between his eyes and ran her hand down his neck as she walked past.

Ducking down, she stepping into the thicket, often having to avoid poking out branches and other kinds of plants.

_Eve?_

_Belle? It's me. I'm going to get you out_, Eve quickened her step.

_No, please go, _the princess pleaded._ It's not safe._

_Is Damien with you?_

_No, he's waiting for you. Please go._

_Not in a million years, Belle, _Eve scoffed, _I'll get you out and then we can deal with Damien._

Eve could see her cousin now and broke into a run, ignoring the jabs of the unkempt forest around her.

"Eve, I told you to go!" Belle cried as Eve broke through into the small clearing.

The princess had been chained to a tree, she had been deprived of sleep, food and water; Damien had beaten her and cut her skin with a knife.

"And I didn't listen," Eve retorted, crouching down and began picking the lock with her dagger. "Don't you know that by now?"

"Well, I know that you're an idiot."

Eve smiled. Damien had not managed to break her spirit.

"How did you even know I had been taken?" Belle tilted her head.

"It doesn't matter," Eve said. "All that matters is that I'm here and I'm getting you out."

"Well, then hurry up. Damien knows you're here," Belle warned.

"Then where is he?"

"Right here," Damien seethed as he threw Eve away from Belle.

The girls had been so focused on opening the lock that they hadn't noticed him creep up behind them. Eve had dropped the dagger as she had been pulled away. Belle grasped it herself and carried on with the lock; Eve would need her help.

Eve let out a grunt as she collided with the forest floor. Not even having to think about it, her leg kicked out and struck the man in the knee. Damien looked awful. His eyes were wounded with hurt, sorrow and twisted revenge. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.

Eve kicked him again, creating a distance between them, and scrambled to her feet. She drew her sword, at the same time strengthening her mind barriers. She had not forgotten how powerful Damien was.

"I didn't expect you to be so easy," he said.

"I didn't expect to find such a pathetic mess of a man," Eve spat back. And then she lunged.

Thanks to her small size and agility, she was faster than Damien. She managed to inflict a deep cut to his arm with the first strike. However, Damien's mind was far stronger than hers. A quick mind attack was enough to slow Eve down so he could retrieve a sword of his own, that he had stolen.

They faced each other.

Eve masked any fear she had as they circled one another, mirroring the other's movements. Eve was surprised. Where would have Damien learned to fight?

"So where's the Newborn?" he asked.

"Where do you think?" the Elf narrowed her eyes.

"He's not here to protect you?" Damien raised his eyebrows. "Shows how much he must care. Alec would have braved the sun for me."

"Don't you mean Alec the dead Vampire?" Eve threw back, knowing how cruel it was.

With a seething roar, Damien lunged at the girl, but she was not going to back down. She responded with a swift counter-strike, blocking his advance.

Throughout their fight, the two continuously taunted each other.

"Do you honestly think you can defeat me without the protection of your Master?" Damien challenged. "You're nothing but a cowardly little whore."

"Draco is not my Master," Eve growled.

Damien threw his head back. "So naïve."

Belle was so confused. It turned out Eve was not the Vampire, but belonged to one and his name was Draco. How could Eve have not told her?

"If you were not about to die today, I would advise you to learn where your place is. A Human's job is to obey and please their Master or Mistress," Damien said, pushing his blade against Eve's. "I admit I was a little like you when I was younger, but Alec soon taught me where I belonged."

"And look where he ended up: murdered by his own creation," Eve said. She didn't like the gleam that lit up in his eyes as she spoke.

"Neither you or Draco know why he was turned, do you?" Damien lowered his sword and stepped back. "Well, I do, and the fact that my Master is dead does not change anything. It seems you two have finished the trap yourselves."

Eve slowly lowered her own weapon. "What do you mean?"

"Eve don't listen to him!" Belle cried. "Kill him!"

Eve did not think. She sprung forward at Damien again, using all her power and skill to bring him down. The man knew of her sword fighting abilities as well as her mind powers, but he did not know what else she could do…

"Ebbre!"

Out of the ground shot a vine. It locked around Damien's body and pinned him to the floor. Eve ran to Belle and managed to quickly open the lock with her dagger. Belle was wounded and could not walk alone.

"I've got you," Eve grunted, supporting the majority of her cousin's weight.

Belle was not overweight in the slightest; she was slender and petite but Eve just wasn't very strong. Together they hobbled back to Leveran. He whinnied happily at the sight of them.

"You know those vines won't hold Damien down forever," the princess winced as she was helped onto the stallion's back.

"I know," Eve replied simply. "I'm going back to finish this."

"Eve, no-,"

"You're the one who said I had to learn to kill," she cut in. "Take her home, Leveran."

"We need to talk when you back… if you get back," Belle said as the horse turned away.

"Yeah, yeah," Eve waved her hand.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, you're a complete idiot," the princess called.

"Just taking after you!" Eve gave a small smile but it faded when Belle left her sight.

Time to finish with Damien.

When Eve got back to the clearing, Damien was still bound to the floor by the vines she'd conjured.

The man laughed. "I didn't think you'd have the guts to come back."

"I want to talk to you. Human to Human," she said calmly, letting all her emotions drain away. "Why was Draco turned into a Vampire?"

"You think I'm going to tell you?" he chuckled. "You have no idea."

Eve tried to remain calm and assertive; she didn't like that he had the upper hand. "Then can I ask you something else?"

"Depends what it is."

"What do you call a Human who is," she paused to think of the right word, "associated with a Vampire?"

"In your case, Draco is your Master or your Dominant; you are his possession, his plaything, his blood whore, however he wishes to see you. In my case, I was Alec's mate and he was my Guardian. When a Vampire and a Human fall in love, they form a bond. This is the bond of Guardian. Alec was still my Master and Dominant, but he was my Guardian too."

"All right," Eve nodded, satisfied with the answer to that specific question. "You want to kill me, correct?"

"Yes," Damien answered slowly.

"Because you want Draco to the feel the pain you felt when he killed Alec?"

"Yes."

"And you realise he will kill you without a second thought?"

"That won't matter," Damien muttered sadly. "I have nothing worth living for anymore."

Eve suddenly felt a twinge of sympathy for him. He had lost the one he loved; he was grieving and sought revenge. Eve knew many people who would be the same – she would be the same.

"Damien," she said softly, crouching down beside him, "killing me won't bring Alec back. And I know for a fact that Draco and I aren't as close as you and he were. He will not feel as much pain as you do. There's no point. And if you wish to take your own life to be with him again, then who am I to stop you? But if not, I'd be willing to help you."

"You're a very odd girl," the hint of a smile appeared on Damien's face. "You don't accept that Draco is your Master and you offer to help me, the Mate of your Master's Sire."

"Will you tell me why Draco was turned?" she asked.

Damien thought for a few moments. "On one condition. Release me. I will tell you and then flee and never return. The day should give me enough time to leave this place."

"How do I know I can trust you?" Eve eyed him closely.

"Because I am so much like you, or I was. I was curious, I had spirit and yet I was meek and shy. We are the same."

It was Eve's turn to think for a few moments.

Picking up Za'rocaella, she cut the vines that bound the wounded man. Out of caution she stepped back as Damien got to his feet.

Everything happened too quickly then.

Damien's mind seized hold of hers, crushing it almost to breaking point. Eve screamed, she dropped her sword to desperately clutch her burning head. Damien leapt forward, picked up Za'rocaella and held it to Eve's throat. Once she was secured in his physical grip, he released her mind.

"So, so naïve," he laughed cruelly.

Eve gulped as the edge of the blade presses into her throat, certain of her impending death. How ironic to be slaughtered with her own sword. Every second Damien did nothing made her more and more afraid.

_If you're going to kill me just kill me, _she thought.

"DAMIEN! RELEASE HER NOW!"

Both Eve's and Damien's blood ran cold.

The man swung round, still holding Eve to him and the sword at her throat, to face his Master's rebellious creation.

Eve gasped. _If Damien doesn't kill me then Draco will._

Draco looked absolutely furious. His eyes glowed like Eve had never seen before; it was a look Damien knew all too well. Draco's long, lethal fangs were barred and ready to slice through anything they came into contact with; his body was crouched like a hunter and a deep, rumbling growl sat in his chest.

"One more step and she's dead," Damien threatened.

"You think that will work?" Draco raised an eyebrow. "I could easily murder the both of you before you have the chance to blink. You are helpless, little Human."

It then occurred to Eve that practically everyone was little to Draco, even though Damien was much bigger than she was.

"Then you know how fragile a young Human girl is, Newborn," Damien said. "It would take very little effort for me to kill her as well."

Eve's control suddenly snapped. How dare they argue about who was to kill her? Knowing it would hurt, she knocked her head back into Damien's face with a grunt, knocking him off balance. She took back her sword and held it to his chest.

"You wouldn't," Damien muttered. "I know you wouldn't. You're too much like I used to be."

The tip of a bloody blade protruded out of the man's back.

"Try me," Eve whispered in a deathly quiet voice.

**A/N: Reviews would be much appreciated! xxx**


	10. Chapter 10: My Master

Belle would have been proud.

Eve dropped to her knees and collapsed on top of Damien's chest, unable to comprehend what she had just done. She was appalled with herself. She had taken someone's life. Her sword had ended Damien's existence. For a second she tried to tell herself that it was the sword, not her, but it was rubbish. It had been her.

Her body trembled, she wasn't quite sure what with, and her eyes brimmed with tears. Her hand still gripped Za'rocaella's hilt in an awkward angle.

Swallowing bile, Eve looked closely at where the blade had pierced the man's body. Blood was slowly leaking out. It had stained his clothes, dyeing them crimson, and also stained her skin. His blood would taint her skin forever.

"Evelina," Draco said softly behind her.

With a gasp, the girl flipped her body over onto her back.

"Are you hurt?" Draco asked, his tone void of any emotion.

"No," she replied weakly. "How did you find me?"

"My mind is far stronger than yours, my little butterfly," he said. "I looked to see if you had gone to your training like you normally would, but I sensed your mind was far away from where it should be, so I came to find you."

"The sun will make you ill," Eve said.

"It's not too bad in the forest and it's not particularly sunny either. But that's not the point; the point is you disobeyed me," Draco accused.

Eve hung her head. She felt like a child being told off for something they knew was wrong but couldn't understand why.

"I know," she muttered. "I'm sorry."

"Do you know what happens to little girls who disobey a Vampire's order?" he asked, crouching down and disregarding what she had just said.

He leaned in close to her. She was too terrified to even think of scuttling away.

"They must be punished, mustn't they?" he whispered.

Eve looked away.

"Do you want to be punished here or in my chambers?" he asked.

At first, his chambers sounded much worse but then she quickly worked out that he could still do the same to her in the forest as he could anywhere else. And in his chambers there would be a bed rather than a cold, muddy floor and she would be closer to medicine and help.

"The lodge," she muttered.

"As you wish," Draco said. "Get your sword."

Giddy as a newborn foal, Eve picked herself up and pulled Za'rocaella smoothly out of Damien's chest. Red fire crawled up the blade, erasing the blood into nothing, leaving it as if it had never been touched. She put it back in its sheath.

Draco stepped forward and scooped her up in his arms. He held her tight in an unmerciful grip whilst growling to show his possession over her. Eve curled herself into a ball as much as his arms would allow and squeezed her eyes shut.

Her body flinched as the Vampire broke into a run of supernatural speed. She buried her face into his chest. As he ran, Draco found himself entwining his fingers around her dark locks of silky hair as they blew into him.

When close to Rivermoor, he slowed to a brisk walk.

Eve opened her eyes and glanced up at him. "Draco?" she whispered.

"Yes, little one?"

"Um, Damien said something to me about you being my… Master," she forced out the final word.

"Well, I suppose I am," Draco said. "Because I am not your Guardian yet, but you are still mine. I am your Master. And you have disobeyed me," his voice became low and seductive.

"What will you do?" Eve almost choked on her fear.

"I will do what you fear most about me and my kind," he grinned cruelly down at her. "Make sure your heart doesn't stop beating completely. If you are this afraid already then I almost fear for you."

"Draco," Eve stopped. "Master, please. I said I was sorry."

"Oh, do be quiet, little one," Draco purposely jogged her in his arms.

Eve hung her head and stayed silent until they reached Draco's chambers.

Draco lay her down on his king-size bed and took away Za'rocaella, strangely being gentle with her. Eve dared not even move, in fear of angering him further. She watched with wide doe eyes as he began to remove his black jacket and shirt.

The sight of his bare chest never failed to take her breath away, his mere size too. Most male Elves were rather tall and well-built but compared to Draco they were tiny and puny. The thought of what he could do to her made her shudder head to toe.

"You look absolutely terrified," he noted.

"Draco, please don't do this," the Elf begged. "I know what I did was wrong but I couldn't just leave her. You wouldn't have left me."

"No, I wouldn't, but that is because I am invincible to almost anything. You are not," he growled. "Damien could have killed you."

"But he didn't, did he?" Eve replied stubbornly.

Draco lunged forward. He pinned her to the bed and snarled centimetres away from her face. "You do _not _speak back to me like that, little one. You will learn your place."

"Is there anything I can do?" she squeaked, her submissive side taking over. "You are right. I should not have disobeyed you."

"You will not win my mercy that easily, my beauty," he replied huskily.

Draco lowered his mouth to her neck, mouthing her frantic pulse.

Eve reacted without thought. Her body twisted and writhed as she tried helplessly to flee him. Draco hardly felt her struggles and required no effort to supress them.

"No," she whimpered.

"Just a little nibble, my butterfly," he promised before sinking his teeth into her.

Eve willed herself to be still. The best option to her appeared to be letting Draco do whatever he wanted with her. If she could please him, he might soften again.

Draco only took a little blood, just as he'd promised. After withdrawing his fangs, he licked the two puncture wounds closed.

Eve's body shuddered violently beneath him. Draco sat up, straddling her waist. He held his weight carefully; he did not want to shatter her bones. With blinding speed, he made a cut down her cheek with his nail. The wound wept crimson heavily.

Draco made similar cuts like that all over her upper body, tearing both her skin and her clothes. Blood mixed with tears. Countless whimpers resonated around the room.

Draco's own skin was coloured with her blood, and he loved it.

Eve was beginning to feel faint. Her face burned and her palms began to sweat.

_Please let this be over soon_, she silently begged.

Draco then began to lick the cuts, closing them instantly with his saliva. The scars themselves were gone but the pain remained, burning in her skin as a reminder that she was Draco's possession and her disobedience would not be tolerated.

Another large tear slid down the side of Eve's face. She closed her eyes tightly, terrified that her pain would not be over any time soon. Her body felt like it was sizzling like a piece of meat. Eve was silent now, her lips parted slightly.

When satisfied that she had suffered enough, Draco leaned down and nuzzled her neck with his nose, telling her that she was forgiven. At his touch, the pain went away immediately.

"Don't ever disobey me again," he hissed. "I was being _very _gentle with you just now. It is early days in our relationship and I will give you the benefit of the doubt. Do you understand, little one?"

Eve nodded vigorously. "Yes."

"Now, go," he said getting off her. "Perhaps I will see you tonight."

Eve fled Draco's chambers, almost in shock, leaving Za'rocaella behind. When outside his door, she broke into a run and let her tears fall. She kept running and then suddenly she banged into someone as she rounded a corner.

"Eve?" said Harry.

She looked up into the kind eyes of her brother.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

Eve looked back to the lodge then to him. "Not here. He'll find out," she blurted out.

Harry didn't question and led his weeping sister to the river. He sat her down on a rock and crouched in front of her. "Eve, what's happened. Who did this to you?"

"I can't tell you," she sobbed. "He'll find out."

"Who? Who will find out?"

Eve didn't reply; she looked away to the floor.

Harry grasped her hands in a firm but gentle hold. "Who did this to you?"

"I can't tell you. He'll find out and he'll hurt me again," she whimpered.

"No, I won't let him," Harry vowed. "Whoever he is."

"He's a Vampire," Eve said.

"What? How can Vampires be killed or at least sent away?" Harry asked, not about to go back on his promise to her.

"You have no idea," she hiccupped, "how dangerous Vampires are, especially this one. Oh, I should never have told you. Things will be even more complicated now."

"Eve," came a third voice.

The Potters looked up and saw the Elven princess walking towards them, her face contorted with worry and sympathy.

"What happened to Damien?" she asked.

Harry was confused. Was Damien the Vampire?

"I killed him," Eve growled. She was still ashamed and furious at herself.

"Oh," Belle said. She also felt bad. She was the one always complaining that Eve needed to learn to take a life if she was going to be a warrior and eventually the leader of the army.

But now Eve had killed someone and was anything but proud about it, Belle felt nearly guilty.

"Who's Damien?" Harry asked.

"Yes. Who was Damien?" Belle repeated.

Eve sighed. She knew she wouldn't get out if this one, and Belle had heard too much already from that morning.

"I actually don't know who he is, or where he came from. He was Human though," she said.

"Well, all I heard was that his master was killed by his own creation. Who was Damien's master?" Belle asked.

"His name was Alec. His creation turned on him and killed him, so Damien vowed revenge," Eve said, her voice becoming more normal.

"Damien also said the creation was _your _master," Belle said.

Eve hung her head. "Yes, he is my Master."

"Wait, Eve," Harry interrupted. "I don't understand any of this. Start from the beginning."

"Okay," she said. "It happened in the beginning of November. It was the day I was taken out of archery practice by Damien, actually, and he led me into the forest where Alec had his chosen Human ready to be changed. I don't know why he was made a Vampire or why I was needed – Damien knew but I never found out. The boy was bitten and then commanded to bite me so his change would be completed, but he didn't drink enough blood to fully transform. He killed Alec, which he shouldn't have been able to do; he should have been much, much weaker, and then he brought me back here. I regularly gave the boy blood until he did eventually transform into a Vampire."

"And then he made you his?" Belle asked.

Eve nodded.

"Then what happened?"

"Well, yesterday, he told me that you had been kidnapped by Damien to get to me. He knew the boy was now far, far too strong and there was no point in even thinking about trying to kill him. He told me not to come after you, but I disobeyed him and came after you anyway. He found me and…," her voice trailed off. "I can't say."

"Did he rape you?" Belle's eyes widened.

Eve laughed bitterly. "No, and it was nothing like that."

"Do you have any idea what the reason was for him to be changed? I heard Damien say that you had finished the trap yourselves," Belle said.

"I don't know what he meant," the dark haired Elf shrugged.

"Who is the Vampire?" Harry asked. "What's his name?"

Eve opened her mouth to speak but Belle interrupted her.

"You said it was Draco."

Harry's jaw dropped. "Dr-Draco? Draco Malfoy? Draco Malfoy is a Vampire?"

"Yes," Eve answered quietly.

"Oh, fuck Merlin," he cursed.

"And I belong to him," she added.

"No, he can't make you," Harry's mind raced with denial. It could not be Draco Malfoy, his school boy arch enemy.

"Actually, he can," Belle corrected. "And it seems he has."

"But you can get out of it, right? Eve, tell me you can," the boy begged.

Eve shook her head.

"You don't know much about Vampires, do you?" Belle asked Harry softly. "A Vampire can make a Human theirs whether they like it or not, but they can't force them to become their Mate. There's nothing we can do."

"Where did you learn all this?" Eve tilted her head to the side.

"I had my suspicions about you being the Vampire so I did my research and even had a plan to see if you were or not," Belle said, pleased with herself.

"What was it?"

"I was going to make you touch silver."

"Ah," Eve nodded.

"But Damien is now dead," Harry said. "Does that mean that whatever he was planning is now over?"

Eve shrugged. "I have no idea. Promise me something, the both of you."

"Of course," Belle nodded.

"Draco can never find out that you know, or I'll get it, so please act like you know nothing of him being a Vampire."

Belle nodded instantly though Harry was a little more reluctant. Eve looked at him through pleading eyes and he agreed.

Wormtail scurried through the broken halls of Hogwarts School. The Death Eaters had taken over the entire city and Lord Voldemort had turned the school castle into his fortress. Wormtail was on his way to bear news to his master concerning the Potter girl and the Malfoy boy. Spies had relayed the message across the country, the message of Alec and Damien's deaths.

Wormtail scuttled through the doors of the main hall, where Lord Voldemort held his council. He sat at the head of the table, surrounded by his followers.

"My-My lord," Wormtail stuttered.

"What news do you bring?" Voldemort asked.

"It concerns the Potter girl and young Master Malfoy," the man said.

Along the table, Draco's parents, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, perked up at the mention of their son's name.

"Has Draco completed his mission?" Voldemort hissed.

"That is unknown, my lord. Alec and Damien are… dead," Wormtail readied himself for the rage of the Dark Lord.

But the snake-like man did nothing. "Dead, you say?"

"Yes, my lord."

"How did this happen? How could this have happened?" Voldemort was truly puzzled.

"Alec was murdered by Master Malfoy and Damien was murdered by the girl almost a week ago. And Master Malfoy has taken possession of the girl," Wormtail added.

"With all due respect, my lord," Narcissa interrupted, "Draco did not know why he was made a Vampire or that he was even involved in our plans. He told me that he rebelled against his sire, unknowing of his intentions. Might I suggest we send more spies, and inform Draco of his mission?"

Voldemort nodded in respect to her advice but continued. "No, Narcissa. As a Vampire, young Draco will be very powerful and very difficult to control. Things would take a turn for the worse if he were to turn against us. If the girl is still alive it means Draco has favoured her. I suggest we leave him to continue his relation with her and eventually, the link will be made between them. The girl could be a great aid in bringing down Harry Potter."

**A/N: Ooooh, what's Voldie planning?**

**Love and hugs xxx**


	11. Chapter 11: Warrior's Song

Secrecy was becoming an old friend of Eve's, or it seemed like that at least. She had managed almost three weeks without anyone else apart from Belle and Harry, finding out about Draco; and Draco had not found out that she had told her brother and cousin about him.

Eve and Draco had been on rather good terms since her punishment, meaning it worked. Eve did not disobey him and only resisted if it was something she really didn't want to do.

Over the past few days, Eve was constantly called to meetings about the Durzian attack that was to be launched on Rivermoor. The Capyli army was going to ride out and meet them at the mountain pass, three miles to the east. Eve and most of the other young soldiers would be in the mountain pass itself, along with some other regiments, but the most powerful, experienced warriors would be fighting on the plain on the other side of the mountain pass.

Every soldier had been training longer and harder. Every blacksmith and armourer worked day and night, creating hundreds of swords, daggers, throwing knives, and armour for both Elf and horse alike. Most nights, Eve went to bed with sore muscles, even after taking a hot bath.

Eve felt very sorry for the Mage, Lyra Mafalda; she was working her socks off tending to all the injuries the Elves got whilst training. Eve had given Belle a deep wound down her arm, and claimed it was payback for when Belle managed to stab two inches into her shoulder.

On the eve of the battle, the future High General looked out over the balcony of her room at the palace that overlooked the training grounds. Every single unit was at work; the infantry, the cavalry, the archers, the sorcerers.

The sky was blood red. It was not unusual to have a red sky in the winter in Aseridia. The setting sun cast a deep golden glow across the land. It brought out a rich, dark crimson tint in Eve's hair and brought gentle warmth to her face as the breeze blew her hair behind her.

Her face was relaxed and pensive, yet inside her, emotions were swirling around from head to toe.

She truly looked like a warrior.

Behind her, her weapons and armour were ready for the morning. That night could have been her last but she found she almost didn't care.

Eve gazed down onto the training grounds.

She could see Remmera's mother, Artemis, calling out to her archers, her voice strong and clear as a bell. Moving her line of vision, she then saw Thiazzi and Lartia moving in sync with the rest of the infantry, the golden-orange light reflecting off each and every blade. Among them was Tristan and Caspian, Renn's older brother. Then, there was Chloe training the cavalry unit, by herself but she was the most respected fighter in Aseridia. And lastly, Torak, who was a quiet, reserved man, was working silently with the other sorcerers.

Eve could hear the low humming that was the minds of over a hundred magicians in the back of her head.

She went to bed alone that night, never leaving her room to talk to anyone. Her hair lay spread out across her pillow as she stared, wide awake, up at the ceiling. She looked around the luxurious room.

The walls were hued a very pale honey colour, accompanied with golden pillars. The carpet went nicely with the walls, only a few shades darker. The posts of her bed were gold and reflected the dying light of the fire sitting in the stone fireplace.

As she lay, Eve contemplated everything that could happen the next day and warned herself not to be surprised if those around her were murdered in the heat of battle.

And, with those cold thoughts running around her head, Eve fell into a dreamless sleep.

Eve was woken up before her time. She'd not slept well, waking up every few hours in case it was time to get up and fight the battle. Sleepily, she turned her head to the window. It was first light. Deciding there was no point in trying to get back to sleep, Eve got up. She could already hear the men and women outside, already preparing.

She washed quickly and dressed herself in her body armour.

It was made out of purple dyed leather that did up at the front with leather buckles, so it was easy enough to do yourself. Within the leather was a very thin layer of Starnight steel, the strongest, lightest metal known to Durzian, Elf and wizard alike. It was a compound of steel and silver, mixed with an enchantment using the dust of stars. The Elves only used it for their armour because there was not enough for their weapons also.

Eve's armour was sleeveless and only reached just above her knees, so she had separate arm and leg guards. An extra layer padded her inner thighs; if they were cut too deeply she would die in less than a minute from blood loss. Her long boots protected the rest of her legs. Over her forearms, she wore arm guards like the ones she wore for training but these were much stronger and could hold throwing knives. Her upper arms were left bare, aside from the long sleeved silver shirt she wore underneath the armour.

Finally she put on her head armour. It was made out of normal steel and resembled a kind of exoskeleton. Eve had sometimes thought of it as a military hair band when she younger. It pulled her hair out of her face and remained firmly fixed in place. It would not move so much as a millimetre during the battle.

Then it was time to put all her weapons in place. On her belt she carried Za'rocaella and one of her two daggers; one throwing knife was sheathed in each of her arm guards and another two in her head armour; and her other dagger was safe in her boot. Eve looked in the mirror.

She barely recognised herself.

Gone was the shy, sweet young Elf; in her place was a bold, valiant warrior.

But when Eve gave her usual gentle smile, her real self leaked through, and that reassured her. Somebody knocked at the door.

"Come in," Eve called softly.

The door opened and Belle stepped inside. She closed the door behind her and approached her cousin. She too was dressed in her armour, which was quite similar to Eve's but was hued a sapphire blue that matched her eyes.

"How are you feeling? Are you nervous?" Belle asked as she joined Eve's side at the mirror.

"Only a fool was say no," Eve muttered.

"So you're not nervous," the princess joked lightly.

"No," Eve agreed. "I'm absolutely terrified."

"Me too," Belle took hold of Eve's hand. "Do you think Draco would save you if you were in danger?"

Eve shrugged and walked away from the mirror. "I'll be in danger the whole time. It's a battle, you twerp."

"But I mean serious danger. If you were about to die, do you think he'd save you?"

Eve shrugged again, while a keen ear listened outside the window. "The sun would be too dangerous for him. I have no idea how long he can survive before dying. But I just can't imagine him to do nothing."

She sat down her unmade bed and sighed. "Are we ready to do this?"

"Now's not the time to get sentimental," Belle said.

"You know, I find it very easy to imagine you becoming a cold hearted murderer," Eve said in a voice laced with venom.

"Why? Because I accept the truth that we have to fight and kill? Because I do not run from the truth?"

"No. Because you don't seem to give a fuck about whom you kill. I know it'll be different killing in the heat of battle than it will in cold blood, possibly a lot easier because you don't think about it. But I see you killing in cold blood and not having your conscience affected in the slightest."

"You knew these days would be coming since the day you first held a sword. Don't act like this is new," Belle hissed.

"It is though," Eve said. "We have never been sent into battle before. I have only killed once, you thrice."

"Do you want to pull out and not fight?" Belle placed her hands on her hips.

"No," Eve answered blankly. "I'm willing and want to fight, but that's not saying we're ready to. It's people like you that we'll lose out there. You'll forget who you are because you bury your conscience so deep."

"I wouldn't let that happen," the auburn haired Elf said quietly. "I'd never let that happen."

Just after dawn, the Capylinian army set off to the mountain pass. Eve rode next to Belle, in front of Renn, Remmera and Tristan. Chloe and Asriel were at the very front, leading the march. The horses trotted while the soldiers jogged, unbothered by the weight of their armour and weapons.

It didn't take long to reach the mountain pass. A small stronghold had been built between the two mountains many years ago; that was where Eve would be fighting. The plans had been made back in Rivermoor so everybody knew where to go. Upon the walls, archers and sorcerers took up their positions. Inside the stronghold were a unit of cavalry and two units of infantry; the majority were out on the plain but there were three infantry units waiting as reinforcements on the Capyli's side of the mountain pass, outside the stronghold.

Leveran stood strong and firm. He was very calm when Eve needed him to be, like then. He even gave Epona a soft nuzzle to help calm her down. Bonnie and Iona flanked Leveran, while Brenden flanked Epona.

Thiazzi then rode his horse, Cadfarch, in front of the adolescents. He'd be fighting with them rather that with his brother and sister. He was the eldest son but he had never wanted the throne so held discussions with Asriel and Chloe and they decided what roles they would take.

"Nervous?" he asked.

"Yes," Renn asked while Eve nodded.

"Nope," Belle lied jokingly.

"Then why are you trembling?" Thiazzi smiled.

"It's a cold morning," Belle said.

"That it is," the older Elf nodded. "Well, I'm afraid there's no more advice I can give you. Keep your wits about you and watch your back." He nudged Cadfarch in the sides and led him away to talk with the commander.

"Anyone else think we're all gonna die?" Tristan asked.

"Stop it. We don't need your morbid talk," Remmera scolded her cousin.

"Come on, Rem," he said. "At least one of us will die in battle sooner or later."

"Yeah, you, because you never shut up," Eve chimed in, earning a laugh from the other girls.

When their soft laughter died down, the five remained quiet, finding the buzzing chatter of the other soldiers comforting. Belle gripped Eve's hand and they both realised how much the other was shaking. They glanced to each other and smiled weakly.

Then silence swept across the stronghold and plain.

Eve turned her head to the gate of the stronghold, watching it with hawk-like eyes. Then she glanced up to the walls and saw every archer with their bow drawn. Belle squeezed her hand even more tightly.

"THEY'RE COMING!"

Eve drew in a deep breath and dropped Belle's hand.

The battle of the mountain pass had begun.

The bellow of the High General echoed throughout the mountains as she commanded her army into battle. Eve gulped and drew her sword. The ground trembled with the pounding of feet and hooves. Any second now the armies would hit and the bloodshed would begin.

"Loose!" Artemis commanded her archers.

Hundreds of arrows filled the sky, making a beautiful arch before diving back to earth. They had to shoot at a sideward angle to hit the oncoming enemy, making it harder for them to hit their targets.

Eve's body flinched at the horrible sound that she knew was coming, she knew it had begun.

It was worse just standing there doing nothing than fighting. Her body was so alive, buzzing with energy and tension. It needed to get into the action.

A few Durzian soldiers had managed to get past the main battle and were advancing on the stronghold. They were shot down like animals.

Leveran was growing restless now. He also needed to get into the fray. Thiazzi galloped through the opened gatehouse and yanked on his reins to stop his horse.

"Their army is bigger than we thought," he panted. "They've got a unit of infantry and cavalry headed this way. The archers won't be able to hold them all off."

He barely finished his sentence when dozens of Durzian soldiers charged through the gate. The archers and sorcerers tried as best they could to lessen their numbers before they got inside. Only a handful of the sorcerers had the Fire element and could not use it inside the stronghold, creating a disadvantage for them.

_Charge now! _Thiazzi called to every Elf in the stronghold.

And they did, not even thinking about it.

Eve and Belle picked their targets; two Durzian foot soldiers. With all the power they could muster they swung their ravenous blades. The Itlinas dropped like stones, blood gushing out of the deep wounds. Fire crawled up the girls' blade, red fire for Eve's sword and blue fire for Belle's.

Renn, Remmera and Tristan had cantered past them, engaging in their own fights.

Eve wasn't quite sure when she was split up from her cousin and was left to fight on her own. She recognised Branagin, a Durzian commander; and it seemed he had recognised her too. He turned and charged his horse towards her.

Acting only on instinct, Eve kicked Leveran into an aggressive canter, advancing with equal determination. Lifting her arm, she swung Za'rocaella again, this time colliding with Branagin's own sword. As the two horses passed, Leveran managed to slip a kick to his horse.

Yanking on Leveran's reins, Eve forced him to turn around. She grasped a knife from her hair and launched it at him. Her aim was a little off and only struck him in the upper arm. She charged Leveran again, using his falter to her advantage.

Branagin only just avoided her blade, but it cost him to fall off his horse. To protect his master, his horse reared up, snorting monstrously. Leveran backed away, opposing the slightly larger stallion with a snort just as bold.

Out of nowhere, Remmera appeared and struck Branagin in the back as he got back to his feet. She did not kill the horse; they could be useful and Elves frowned upon killing creatures so wonderful.

"Thanks," Eve panted.

Remmera shrugged. "It didn't look like you were gonna kill him any time soon. I took my chance."

Suddenly, there was a scream. Renn's scream.

The black and blonde shared a second's glance before hurrying to her aid. She had been knocked off her horse and was trying to battle two Durzians on horseback at once. It was a miracle she hadn't been killed yet.

Eve threw herself from Leveran and onto one of their backs, gripping as tight as she could. She grabbed her dagger and plunged it into his chest. His body fell limp and slid off his horse. Eve threw herself off and grabbed Renn, who had received a nasty injury to her leg while Remmera finished off the other Itlina.

Eve sheathed Za'rocaella and took Renn to the mage while Bonnie and Leveran covered their escape.

Many wounded soldiers were already in the mage's tent. Lyra and a handful of other healers were all hard at work, tending to the fallen.

Lyra almost instantly spotted them. "Eve, bring her over here."

Lyra was a petite woman with straight black hair and light orange eyes. She held an aura of kindness about her.

Eve helped Renn to a bed while Lyra prepared her things.

"Go, they'll need you," she said Eve.

Eve looked to Renn.

"It's fine," Renn nodded. "Go."

When Eve got back outside, she saw the stronghold was now filled with the enemy. She didn't bother mounting Leveran again. She decided it would be easier to fight on foot.

"Get yourself out of here," she ordered him; she could not lose him. "Bonnie, go to Renn. Actually, Leveran go with her."

The stallion gave an affectionate whinny and cantered away with Bonnie.

Eve glanced over shoulder, a mistake that could have cost her her life. Silver flashed in front of her eyes. Her body reacted without command, moving smoothly. Knowing she wouldn't have enough time to get her sword, Eve hurled a mind attack. It pushed against the Durzian's mind barriers and with another boost of power it broke though. Her opponent staggered with a cry, allowing her to unsheathe Za'rocaella and look whoever she was up against in the face.

Slowly, the blood drained from her face.

"Hello," the Durzian prince grinned. His pale eyes were alight with cruelty and glee.

"Morzann," Eve breathed.

Like feral animals, they lunged for each other. Eve _hated _Morzann with every fibre in her being, and he her. She didn't care if half her training had flown out of her head; all she cared about was killing that monster. There had been no room for her morals in her mind since the battle begun. That side of her had been clouded over by instinct to survive and hatred.

Eve spun away from Morzann's fourth attack. They had both regained control of their bodies and really began to think about their fight. Both of them were skilled young warriors. Morzann swung at the Elf again, who leant back like a tree swaying in the wind. A bewilderingly fast exchange of blows and attacks followed, and both fighters leapt away, neither hurt.

They watched each other's movements; every step, every attack, every counter-attack, every blow mattered. The slightest slip could give everything away to the enemy. One wrong move meant death.

At almost the exact same time, the emerald-eyed Elf and the ice-eyed Itlina sprung forward once more. Each move was executed with precision and ferocity.

Their swords locked together.

"When did you get good?" Morzann grunted.

Eve didn't answer, she had to focus on pushing against him; he was far, far stronger than her and she could not afford to be distracted. She managed to grind her foot into the ground, making it easier to hold her ground. So close to her, Morzann could see the tiny beads of sweat on her brow and a few strands of her hair clinging to her contorted face.

Taking a risk that had two possible outcomes, Eve lifted her leg and kneed him in the thigh, hard, knocking him off balance. She grasped Za'rocaella's blade with her left hand and forced to tip into his chest, puncturing his armour, and his skin.

The Itlina clasped his wound and retreated a couple of steps. Knowing he had been defeated, Morzann fled into the mists of the fight.

"Coward," Eve muttered to herself.

The fight only lasted half a day. It was over before nightfall. The Capyli had won, their advantage of the mountain pass and strategy strengthening their odds against the Durzians. Fewer soldiers than expected were killed.

The Elves stayed at the stronghold that night in case they should try and launch a surprise assault. Tents were put up in the stronghold and lookouts posted along the walls.

Two hours after sunset, the soldiers settled down to their evening meal. Eve, Belle, Renn, Remmera and Tristan sat together huddled around a fire, wolfing down their food like animals. Eve was constantly looking up every now and then, trying to spot people so she knew they were alive.

The fact that she had killed over a dozen people during the battle didn't bother her as she thought it would. She had done it to protect and survive. Her earlier theory about killing in cold blood and the heat of battle was proving to be true. In a battle it was kill or be killed. Both sides had weapons, trained soldiers, both men and women, and armour. Things were fair. Killing someone who was helpless and unarmed was a different matter entirely.

Most of the troops turned in early, completely exhausted. The four girls shared a tent together. They told each other stories of their battles during the day. Eve told how she had fought Morzann; all of them were shocked that she had escaped unharmed but they were proud of her nonetheless.

Gradually the conversation died down and the girls settled down into their beds. Eve didn't know about the others but she was cold, even curled up in a ball. If only Draco were there to hold her and keep her warm. It almost felt odd with the absence of his presence.

_Oh, Draco_, she thought,_ why can I never figure out how I feel about him?_

She did care for him, at the same time she feared him more than she feared anything. It had been established long ago that a Vampire-Human relationship was rather different than a Human-Human relationship. The Vampire was _always _dominant; it didn't matter if they were a man or a woman. Vampires were sadistic lovers, in most cased anyway. How brutal a lover a Vampire was depended on Vampire to Vampire. But since Draco was the only Vampire she really knew, she didn't have much to compare to.

To Humans, dominance, possessiveness and brutality weren't good qualities in a lover; in a Vampire they were.

Eve's relationship with Draco was pretty good at the moment. They'd had no fights and, so far, Eve was sure he had no idea that she had told Harry and Belle about him, and that Renn had worked it out. She intended to keep it that way. She shuddered to think what he would do to her if he found out. He would be so angry, no, he would be outraged.

With that worry swirling around her mind, Eve drifted, uncomfortably, into sleep.

**So how was it? I've not written many battle scenes so if it's not very good then advice would be great. Otherwise just tell me what you think!**

**Love and hugs xxx**


	12. Chapter 12: Dreams and Nightmares

**There is mature content in this chapter so be warned. Disclaimer: Nothing in the HP world is mine! Enjoy!**

The next morning was cloudy, misty and cold. Eve slumped in her saddle, still very tired after her bad night's sleep. The rocking movement of Leveran's strides beneath her may as well have been gentle arms rocking her back to into her slumber. The journey back to Rivermoor seemed to take so much longer than the journey away.

Eve was dressed in her armour again for it was the only way to carry it back. She had retrieved lost weapons from the battle and all of them were in place on her attire.

"Eve, wake up. You're nodding off again," Belle said.

Abruptly raising her head, Eve jogged herself awake, blinking in the daylight. Belle kept her talking for the rest of the journey so she wouldn't drop off again. For the hundredth time, Eve covered her mouth to hide her massive yawn.

"Tired, Evelina?" Thiazzi asked, walking not very far away from the two princesses.

Eyes sleepy and posture slouched, Eve nodded.

"Well, don't worry. All of us are to take the day off today and tomorrow," he smiled at his niece.

Eve was only capable of a small smile in return. After what seemed like hours, the Capyli reached home.

Eve dismounted in the palace courtyard, her legs stiff from the ride. A guard took Leveran to the stables for her so she could go to her room and remove her bothersome armour. Belle followed after her.

"I never thought you'd have it in you," Belle said once in Eve's room.

"What?" Eve asked, not having been paying attention.

"I said, I never thought you'd have it in you," she repeated.

"Don't give me this again," Eve groaned as she pulled off her head armour and placed it back in the glass cabinet where her armour was kept. "I killed people. Every soldier did. No need to make a deal out of it."

"Well, you've always had such strong morals about taking a life and have always been too kind hearted, I was surprised that you could kill so freely and care so little," Belle shrugged.

"I said to you yesterday that it would be different in battle, you should know that. The fact that you can't work out that it was different yesterday than killing someone in cold blood just shows that you can't tell the difference. If you're just going to lecture me then I'd rather you left," Eve snapped.

"All right," Belle sighed in defeat. "I won't talk about that."

"Good," Eve grunted and resumed taking off her arm and leg armour.

There were a few moments of silence between them.

"Are you seeing Draco tonight?" Belle asked.

"Probably," Eve answered blankly.

"I can tell you're scared of him," the princess said softly. "I can see it in your eyes."

"Wouldn't you be, if you were in my place?" Eve's voice became thick.

"Yeah, I think I would," Belle answered honestly, which surprised Eve in some ways. "Are you certain there is no way you can get out of it?"

"You know there's not."

"If there were, would you use it?"

Eve stopped. She honestly did not know. "I – I actually… don't know." She looked away, becoming lost in her thoughts.

Her answer seemed to have surprised her as much as it had Belle.

"I'll leave you to it," Belle murmured uneasily and left Eve alone to her own shocking thoughts.

Eve sank onto her bed. If she had been offered the choice of freedom she wouldn't be sure to accept it. Had she gone mad? She cursed Draco in her head. Could she be developing true feelings for him, or was it from fear? She could not be sure.

Not caring that she was still wearing her body armour, the Elf flopped back onto her bed. Next to her ear, she heard a crinkle of paper and sat up to see what it was.

_Meet me around the back of the lodge at 4 o'clock._

_Draco_

With the note in her hand, Eve checked her clock. She had just under six hours, plenty of time for a nap and then a shower and some food. She lay the note aside and finished taking off her armour, leaving her in a silver shirt and black leggings.

Nothing looked more inviting than her bed at that moment; the soft, warm quilt, the plush pillows, the smooth sheets. She curled up, making her look much younger than she was, and closed her eyes.

Around four hours later, Eve stirred from her nap, refuelled with life and energy. She checked her clock again. She still had plenty of time before she had to meet Draco. Firstly, she would need to shower and freshen up.

Ridding herself of her old, dirty clothes, Eve stepped into the shower of her private bathroom and turned on the tap. Hot and steaming, the water flowed down her lithe body, washing away any stiff muscles she had. She washed her body with lavender scented body wash and her hair with lilac scented shampoo.

When wet, her hair reached her hips and it was a nuisance to comb. Eve rubbed her eyes before opening them and turned the tap off again, happy that she had got all the conditioner out. Hanging on the back of the door was a purple towel; she dried herself off and wrapped the towel around her dripping hair. Naked, she tiptoed back into her room and quickly picked out her clothes.

She chose a pair of leggings, a black layered skirt which reached four inches above her knee, and a black corset top with long, flowing silk sleeves.

Eve pulled down the towel around her head and threw it aside to the bed and began the task of combing her tangled hair. Gritting her teeth, she brushed through each knot, eventually managing to rid her hair of them. There was no need to do anything more with her hair other than let it dry naturally. Eve checked the time once more. She still had time to get something to eat. On her way to the door, she grabbed her jacket and slipped it on.

Not many people were around. Eve saw hardly anyone outside as she passed several windows. She went to the kitchens and nicked a few snacks, eating them as she walked to the lodge.

A warm feeling tingled inside the young girl. It sent constant little shivers up and down her body that made her want to shake like a dog to be rid of them. The closer she came to the meeting place, the stronger the sensation became.

Eve rounded the corner and her chest became tight with many feelings.

"Hello, my beauty," Draco smiled.

Eyes filled with dazzling lights, Eve ran to him and leapt into his opened arms and locked her legs around him. He lifted her well off the ground, holding her close to him as he nuzzled her wet hair.

"I've missed you," he whispered.

"I missed you too," she whispered back.

Draco lowered her back to the ground, drastically changing the height difference between them. Eve kept her submissive gaze to his chest, possibly his shoulders. Draco turned his body and offered the Elf his muscular arm. Timidly, she took it and followed obediently as he walked her into the forest, keeping his pace slow so she could keep up with her much smaller strides. They walked to one of Eve's favourite places in the woods: a small clearing with a little stream running next to it.

Draco sat her down a tree that had fallen years ago and stood looming over her. "I need to ask you something, Eve," he said seriously.

Eve nodded, not saying anything.

Draco crouched down, by doing so bringing their faces closer together. Eve looked at his eyes for a second, unnerved by their bright, molten silver colour. Was she in trouble for something?

"Eve," Draco spoke softly, too softly, "have you told anyone about me?"

Fuck. What did she do? How did he know? Should she lie? Or tell the truth and hope that he wouldn't be too brutal to her? But her hesitance gave away the real answer.

Draco raised an eyebrow; inside he was struggling to keep himself from snatching up her body and fucking her as punishment. "You have?" his voice was still soft.

Tears threatened to spill over, Eve lowered her head and nodded slightly. Her shoulders hunched and her ears lowered, all signs of submission.

"Who?" the girl flinched at the Vampire's stronger voice.

Eve couldn't bring herself to utter the words that would surely seal her death sentence.

"_Who_?" Draco bit out. His arms darted forward and trapped her between them. His humane side was quickly fading, instantly being replaced with the rough, merciless beast that sought to dominate everything about her, do anything to make her understand that she was his and was _never _to disobey him, that she belonged beneath him, sating every one of his needs.

"Belle," Eve squeaked, "Harry…and…Renn." She closed her eyes and waited for the pain to begin.

But none came.

"Eve, look at me," Draco whispered.

Eve opened her eyes and lifted her head a tiny bit. Her eyes swam with tears, the rims were red and some of her eyelashes had clumped together.

"Why did you tell them?" Draco wanted to know this because it might affect how hard he punished her.

"Renn worked it out," she hiccupped. "And Harry and Belle found me after you'd punished me. I was… vulnerable and… I told them," she paused to sniff. "I'm so sorry."

Eve lowered her head again, turning it to the side so her throat was exposed to her Master while she whimpered and whined.

Draco leant in close to the smooth flesh of her neck. "I should think so." He bit down, but did not take blood.

Instead he pulled away and let the wound bleed, and bleed, and bleed. It would not heal without his saliva. Eve felt the warm, thick liquid run down her and soaking into her skirt as it landed in her lap. She did her best to remain still.

Draco leaned in again. "Such a shame," he paused to lick the bite. "You've been such a good girl lately."

With that, he seized hold of her fragile body and threw her across the clearing, his body relishing at the delightful cry that his possession made as she hit the ground and rolled a couple of times.

He was by her in less than a blink of an eye, kneeling over her wounded form. She was curled in a ball, laying on her side. Draco grasped her arm and pulled her onto her back. Her eyes, wide in pain and terror, shone with tears.

"What do they know?" he hissed vehemently.

"That you're a Vampire, how you became one and that I am yours," Eve trembled.

In a blur, Draco was on his feet with one foot pressed down on the little Elf's chest. She winced at the crushing pain being inflicted on her body.

"Give me one good reason why I should fuck you until you cannot stand, my little butterfly. Hmm?" he cocked his head to the side.

"You'd kill me," her voice was weaker than a whisper but he heard her perfectly.

"Not definitely – there is a rather high chance but who knows? If I'm very, very gentle you might come away pretty much unscathed… but I'm not feeling very gentle at the moment," he growled deeply.

Eve choked back a sob. "Please, Draco. Please, I'm sorry."

Draco pressed down a little harder on her, snapping two of her ribs. Eve dug her hands into the ground, praying to find some drug for the pain. Her eyes squeezed themselves shut as she sobbed again and again, holding back terrible cries of agony.

Draco then suddenly lifted the pressure he was forcing down on her and dropped to his knees over her.

"Master, please," Eve begged, using any means at her disposal in hope of pleasing him. But he ignored her.

In a flash, he was rid of all his clothes, throwing them aside carelessly, apart from his tight boxers.

"Draco, no!" the girl cried desperately. She struggled helplessly beneath him, determined to ignore the pain in her abdomen, and screamed out repeatedly for him to stop his advance.

Her struggles proved to be no more than amusement to the Vampire. Draco smirked, thriving on the power he had over her and the knowledge he could do anything he wished to her; she was so tiny and so helpless against him, a powerful, deadly and invincible creature; her only chance in getting her way with him was if he allowed it.

He could crush her with his finger if he wanted to or spellbind her with his gaze or a kiss. His tongue was capable of bruising her skin, not to mention his diamond-hard hips that ground into hers.

Low moans of pleasure hummed through his lips as he rubbed his aching length against Eve's groin. He pulled off her shoes, leggings and knickers roughly, paying no attention to her screams and pleads for mercy. In a last attempt to cover herself, Eve pulled her skirt down as far as she could but Draco wasn't having that, not at all.

With a deep, ferocious snarl, he tore her hands away and lifted her skirt, exposing her virgin womanhood to him. Eve flinched at the sound of Draco removing the last of his clothes. He lowered himself onto her so that their hips were level.

Eve sobbed into his muscular chest as she pounded her fists into his back. It was no use at all. Her strikes may as well have been the gentle caress of her fingertips. Her bare legs were absolutely freezing without her leggings, the hair stood right on end in an attempt to grasp any warmth possible while the cold took a part in her shivering.

"Stop it! Please stop it! Master, please, I beg you!"

Her body bucked and writhed as much as it was capable of when she felt the tip of Draco's cock press at her entrance.

And then her body exploded with power.

Harry had been looking for Eve at the palace when he'd run into Belle. He'd asked her if she knew where his sister was. Belle had said no.

"I can pass on a message if you'd like me to," Belle offered.

"No, thanks," Harry politely declined. "It's not really something to pass on. I need to know how well she can control her powers. The Order has been building its forces again and we need to strike Voldemort before he does any more damage."

"These things take time," Belle said wisely.

"It's been almost three months," Harry said.

"Well, Eve has been working as hard as she can and she has a lot on her plate. No offense, but you're hardly her highest priority."

"I know. Was she all right after the battle?"

Belle nodded. "Yeah. She was rather surprising actually."

"How do you mean?" Harry asked.

"She killed and fought a warrior more powerful than her and walked away unharmed. I never thought she could do it so comfortably. Eve does tend to surprise people with her abilities. But I think she is coming along well with her magic. Do you know how you're going to fight Voldemort?"

Harry glanced at his feet and then down at the short princess. "Well – no. I've… been having these dreams and I don't know if they mean anything," he lowered his voice to a murmur.

"What kind of dreams?" Belle whispered.

"It's the same every time. I'm in a dark cave and I'm searching for something – something important – and so is Voldemort. It's almost like a race to find whatever it is we're looking for. But I don't know _what _I'm searching for or what it will do," Harry explained to her.

Belle nodded, her face contorted with concentration. Harry's dream was most likely a vision of the future; it was common amongst Elves so she knew a bit about dreams like that.

"If you're racing against Voldemort then it's probably you two in the race to bring the other down and you are searching for the answer," the princess analysed.

"You think?"

"Yes. These kinds of dreams occur in Elves all the time," she reassured him.

"But are you sure you have no idea where Eve is?" he asked.

It was Belle's turn to look away. "She's with Draco, but I don't know where they are," she said uneasily.

"Shit," Harry cursed. "I hate this. Why of all people did it have to be Malfoy? And why Eve?"

Why, indeed?

The dark and the cold did not unnerve Morzann like some; in his case, it was he who unnerved the dark. He had been told he'd make a rather good Vampire but he had never really given that much thought.

His footsteps echoed through the dark stone corridor, announcing his presence to anyone nearby, to whom he scowled at. The doors to his father's chambers swung open as he neared.

"Morzann," came the rough voice of his father, "how is your wound?"

"Fine," the prince growled. It still angered him that a fifteen year old Elf could have done that to him and walked away without a single scratch.

He was a tall, muscular young man of sixteen with a cunning mind and a brutal heart, in his youth and reaching the height of his power. And he had been wounded by a small, naïve Elf of fifteen.

The heir to the High General was growing more powerful, and fast it seemed.

The king of the Durzians, Zorrack, rose from his chair by the fire and turned to face his son. They did not resemble each other in the slightest.

"You never told me _who_ did that to you," Zorrack said, his voice croaky but his body held with superiority and grace.

"It was Rider's niece," Morzann bit out, ashamed and humiliated. He glanced down at his feet, which was unusual for Morzann as he always carried himself in the same way his father did.

"The Potter girl?" the king sounded almost surprised.

"She has come out of nowhere and she's gotten more powerful. She could be great threat," Morzann said.

"I agree," Zorrack nodded. "She must be eliminated before she grows too strong. I've long heard rumours that the girl had powerful magic. It seems that they are true."

"Do you suggest assassins?" Morzann settled himself comfortably into the armchair opposite his father's and interlocked his fingers.

"I am unsure," Zorrack admitted. "A new foe has come into this game."

"A foe of ours or a foe of the Capyli?"

"A foe of the Capyli, more specifically a foe of the Potter girl. The wizards of Terrinian fled to Aseridia, seeking the help of the Capyli. Potter's twin brother was among the wizards and they must fight his foe together," Zorrack relayed the information he had heard from scouts and spies. "And they might kill her for us."

"No," Morzann snarled. "I want to kill her." His eyes glowed frightfully with blood lust.

"Patience, my son, patience," Zorrack said calmly. "Only time will tell what we are to do."

**Oooh, now we've got the Durzians plotting too! Please review, it would be much appreciated :D**

**Love and hugs xxx**


	13. Chapter 13: Za'ro Cae Aellia

**Warning: There is some mature content in this chapter.**

Eve had regained her senses and her full consciousness to find herself curled in a tight ball, shielding her face from invisible terrors. She only blacked out for a second or two, but it felt like hours. Her body shook all over, from both fear and physical weakness. Whimpering, she sobbed quietly to herself, the memories all flooding back to her.

Draco had been about to rape her and her magic and had gone utterly wild, throwing him away from her. Her first assumption was that it was a last resort to protect herself, no matter how afraid she was. And it seemed to have healed her too. The pain in her ribs was gone.

Her body curled tighter around herself when she heard Draco's movement. He would make her pay for that, she was sure of it.

But then the strangest, most unexpected noise reached her ears. She looked up with a gasp. Draco was… _laughing._

He had dressed himself to the waist and thrown all other clothes over his broad shoulder. He was walking towards her, chuckling heartedly to himself. Utterly confused, Eve uncurled herself slightly, quickly checking to see that her lady parts weren't visible to him.

"You never cease to surprise me, my beauty. First you kill Damien and then you nearly blow half the forest into oblivion. Who would have thought?" Draco wiped away a genuine tear of amusement from his eye. He didn't seem angry anymore; the animalistic creature side of him had gone. "You really, _really_ didn't want me to do that, did you?"

Eve shook her head, her eyes still wide in fear. The Vampire started laughing again. He crouched down next to her but she flinched away from him.

"I must apologise," he said more seriously. "I've underestimated you. And I shouldn't have tried to take you for your punishment. I've never seen you so terrified, not even on the night I transformed."

Mouth open slightly, Eve uncurled a little more. "Am I still going to be punished?"

Subconsciously, her head tilted, showing her neck, almost asking for her own punishment.

"I'm not sure. As I've said before, I don't want to harm you but I don't want to be too soft with you. Most Vampires would fuck their Humans until they bordered death if they disobeyed them," he told her.

"Really?" the girl squeaked, realising how lucky she was.

Draco nodded. "Fucked them, tortured them, played their cruel games with them, make them do…sexual things to appease them. But I am not doing any of those to you."

Eve hung her head, feeling nothing but guilt and a sudden urge to please him. "You should. I deserve it. I shouldn't have disobeyed you. It was your secret, not mine," she made herself as small as possible. "Do anything you want."

Draco cupped her delicate cheek with his hand and raised her head. He was fighting between his humanity and his Vampire dominance. Like all Vampires, he had two different sides to how he behaved with his Human; a loving, more humane, kind side and a brutal, animalistic creature side. But both ways, he was seductive, powerful and the dominant one.

His gentler side was telling him to take her in his arms, comfort her with tenderness and affection; his Vampiric side was urging him to do what most Vampires would do to their disobedient Humans.

In order to satisfy both his needs, Draco settled for a mixture of the two.

"I'll be gentle with you, I promise," he whispered, making Eve shiver.

He saw tears in her eyes and her bottom lip tremble, and he could tell she was trying not to cry. "We'll go to my chambers," he muttered and he scooped her up in his arms.

Eve gripped her skirt, keeping herself covered; Draco still had her underwear and leggings hung over his shoulder. She buried her face into his smooth bare skin and closed her eyes for the journey home.

At the lodge, Draco jumped up to his window with the grace of a cat. He held Eve in a tight grip against him, tucking her head in. He slipped through the open window and then lowered Eve to her feet. He then threw the clothes over his shoulder to the sofa.

Eve kept her gaze lowered. She didn't want to upset her Master any more than she had already. Without her underwear, she felt extremely self-conscious and she didn't like it very much.

The girl waited nervously for his first move.

Draco circled her slowly, occasionally toying with her hair or brushing his arm against her. Her heart rate accelerated dramatically and, thanks to his supernatural hearing, Draco stopped behind her to listen for a moment.

"Scared, are we?" he whispered in her ear.

"Yes," she answered, her body tensed like an animal that had just scented a predator. She kept her eyes focused on the window they had just come through.

"Excellent," Draco purred as he pressed his massive body against hers.

Knowing to be good and obedient, Eve let him pull her back. Her head rested against his huge, bulging pectorals, not even reaching near his shoulders. Draco brushed his lips against her neck. Supressing a shudder, she gulped nervously.

A low purr came from the beast's mouth. He nipped her skin and let the blood trickle down her body, staining her black clothes. She whimpered in pain, pressing her lips together to hold in a sob that was stuck in her throat. Draco bit again. This time he began feeding off her blood.

As he drank greedily, his hand pressed onto Eve's thigh and moved up, under her skirt, to her hind. The pads of his fingers traced in delicate circles on her innocent flesh, occasionally using his nails.

Eve had never been touched like this before. She wasn't sure what to do. Did she resist the sexual feelings being slowly ignited in her, or embrace them? She did want to but she was sure she'd feel so dirty if she did.

Then again, it wasn't her choice of what she did; it was only if she let herself enjoy and respond to them.

Eve was unsure if Draco would want her to respond at all or just let him do as he pleased.

A tiny gasp left her lips as he withdrew his long and bloody fangs. Draco licked his mouth clean and then healed the wound while he hummed in satisfaction.

"Lie on my bed," he purred huskily.

Eve obeyed without even casting him a glance. She lay half upright, folding her legs so her private parts were shielded from sight. Draco unhurriedly climbed on top of her, placing his hands on either side of her head but not touching her. His eyes hungrily trailed down her body, a cloudy mixture of molten silver and ruby red filled with lust and desire.

Draco took in her clad body inch by inch, his gaze wandering up and down. He paused on her face, her innocent, frightened face; her parted lips, her fluttering eyelashes, her terrified emerald eyes. The corners of his mouth turned upwards in a gentle smile.

Draco lowered his head and kissed her tenderly. "No need to be so scared, little one," he whispered. "This can be enjoyable for the both of us. Make your Master happy and he will reward you."

He kissed her again, remaining gentle until Eve was comfortable. She responded willingly. Her mouth opened to allow Draco's tongue entrance and pushed her own against it. At first, they moved in a slow rhythm; the whole time Draco was restraining his lustful and Dominant urges. He waited patiently until Eve was ready to move further.

Bit by bit, the Vampire lowered his weight onto the girl below him, adding another thing to be careful about. Having gained a little confidence, Eve moved her hands into his hair, softly tugging at the roots. She didn't want to make herself too bold so chose to play it safe.

Draco pulled away, remembering that Humans had to breathe. He could breathe himself if he wanted to; he just had no need to. He smiled again as he watched Eve gasp for her breath, left overwhelmed by his kiss.

Her breathing quietened again and Draco suddenly rolled them both, leaving the Elf on top. Eve froze. This had never happened before. Draco had never, ever put her on top before. The Dominant was meant to be on top, not the Human.

"It's all right," Draco reassured her.

"But…I-I'm not supposed to," Eve stammered out, unable to form a proper sentence.

"It's fine because I allowed it," Draco then smirked. "And I'm still the one in power. That _never _changes."

"I know," Eve said submissively.

"Hmm, good," he purred, pulling her head down to reach his lips in another kiss.

Eve knew she could let all her weight onto him. She didn't weigh that much and knew Draco would barely notice it anyway.

Draco rested his large, heavy hands on the small of her back, pinning her helplessly to him. In need of air, Eve pulled away and sucked in a deep breath. She looked down shyly and curled her hair behind her ear.

Draco began to sit himself upright. Startled by the sudden movement, Eve gripped his shoulders for support until he was settled, and once again he gained superior height to her. Eve actually felt more comfortable that way.

Draco gently pulled her legs apart so she was straddling him at the hips. He was so broad that it almost stretched her legs to sit astride him.

Against her naked groin, Eve could feel the bulge through Draco's trousers. He was, quite obviously, still aroused from earlier and, even more obviously, he was enjoying the contact between them, no matter how gentle or forceful.

For a second, Draco glanced down at where their hips met, his eyes alight with lust. He then turned his attention to the corset top Eve was wearing. She did nothing to resist as he started to undo it, however she could do nothing to stop her unsteady breathing.

She raised her arms so Draco could lift her top over her head. The chill of the cold room suddenly hit her. Goosebumps appeared over her skin.

Draco thought for a second. Should he warm her, or let her remain cold as part of her punishment?

He pulled her closer to him. Eve kept her head back and her neck exposed. She was sure he was going to bite her again.

But he didn't bite her.

Draco dipped his head and kissed her collar, working down towards her breasts. Hip lips felt demanding, nearly hungry. Eve felt his fingers wander around to her back. Her body seized and temporarily gave into instinct.

"Ah, ah, ah," Draco cooed as he tightened his hold, preventing her escape. "Not so fast." His tone was gentle but Eve could practically taste the danger in his voice.

The tiny click of her bra strap coming undone was a gunshot to her dreading ears. She squeezed her eyes shut as the fabric of her bra was torn away. A deep moan left the Vampire's mouth and he resumed kissing her chest.

Eve suddenly lost sense of the world around her.

It felt so good but she almost felt guilty for feeling like that. Eve didn't want to admit her feelings for Draco; they would seal her fate forever. She knew that if she let herself slip just a tiny bit then Draco would never stop. Eve tried to keep hold of her sane mind but her thoughts had been drowned in a tidal wave of emotion.

She began to question herself. Were all her feelings for Draco honest, or did she feel this way because of the situation surrounding her? Whether she had feelings for him or not, she was still his.

_Then what does it matter if I let myself go? _Eve asked herself.

_You'd regret it, _another voice argued, _you wouldn't feel right doing it because it's not what you honestly feel. Yet._

"Relax, my butterfly," Draco's voice tore her away from her thoughts. "There's no need to be scared of enjoying this."

Eve did nothing; she didn't know what to do. Fight or flight?

She did everything she could to resist the enticing feeling of his lips upon her skin. One slip and she would give in, she knew that.

And suddenly, she forgot about everything. Her back arched, her lips parted in pleasure. Draco's tongue swirled around the rosy peak he had captured in his mouth. Eve had never experienced such erotic pleasure before. All sense of resistance and reason drained from her, leaving behind only blind emotion and instinct.

Her hands grasped hold of Draco's hair, pulling much harder than she had before when they were kissing. Draco sucked her breast, every once in a while grazing the sensitive flesh with his fang. Eve's eyes rolled back in her head, subconsciously rubbing her hips against his to find something to stop the aching deep within her.

Draco felt his underwear become even tighter as he pushed his hips out to meet the ones of his little butterfly. His chest rumbled in satisfaction as the girl rode him. Draco knew Eve wouldn't have been able to hold out against him and her own sexual desires. His hands held her firmly, guiding her body in a rhythm against his painful erection. Draco opened his mouth – earning a whine from the Elf – and moved to her other breast, repeating the same thing.

Eve gripped his hair as tight as she could and put as much force into her thrusts against his hips as she was capable of. The room was filled with the sounds of deep growls and purrs, and whimpers and delicate moans. Draco slowly began to lower himself onto his back a little more so he could provide them both with more pleasure. He had to take his mouth away from her small breast to keep the contact between their groins. With a powerful buck, Draco earned a delicious sound from his butterfly's mouth. Desperate to hear it again, he bucked a second time.

Eve's hands curled, digging her nails into Draco's diamond hard skin as she tried to relieve herself of the insatiable desire that raged within her. Tiny beads of sweat were leaking through onto her brow, coating her skin in a delicate sheen.

As she rode his rock hard length, her mind began to find its way back to her but oddly it didn't tell her to stop; it told her to do what she wanted, and she wanted everything she had. Although, being only Human, Eve couldn't keep her efforts up forever. Eventually, she slowed and stopped.

"I – can't," she gasped. "I can't do any more."

Draco growled in disappointment. He hadn't been far away from his climax, which he was craving, granted that there were barriers between them and Eve had very light weight, but it had been very enjoyable nonetheless.

Draco rolled the little girl off him. She curled into a ball, facing away from him. Her body trembled slightly from exhaustion. Pleasing a god wasn't an easy job.

Draco got to his feet, not an ounce of strength gone, and retrieved Eve's clothes for her. He lay them in front of her. "Here," he said softly.

Eve covered herself with her arm and pulled the clothes towards her.

"Don't hide yourself, little one. Your body is beautiful," Draco said. Eve blushed a little.

She dressed herself fully, gaining comfort in the fact that Draco could see nothing private of hers any more. She felt more secure.

"You are very pleasing, my butterfly," the Vampire purred, suddenly right behind her.

"I thought it was meant to be a punishment," Eve said, jumping slightly.

"More like redemption," Draco shrugged. "You pleased me by giving me pleasure. You are forgiven, my butterfly."

Eve turned and hugged him tightly. "They promised they wouldn't tell anyone," she whispered against his skin after a few seconds of silence.

"Hmm," he replied, returning her embrace. "I am still troubled by not knowing why I was created."

"I know," Eve said, pulling away. "I wish I had an answer for you. But I have no idea. Do you regret killing Alec?"

Draco's chest rumbled in a deep snarl at the mention of his sire's name. Eve flinched.

"Forgive me," he quickly apologised. "I didn't mean to scare you, I just… I hated that monster with every fibre in my being. No, I don't regret killing him. Sometimes I think I didn't cause him enough suffering."

"Then you would have been as bad as him," Eve said.

"To a Vampire that means nothing, a little at the very most," Draco said.

She could see the anger and pure hatred swirling around in his eyes. It pained her to think what he must have endured that night, and she couldn't blame him at all for feeling how he did towards his sire. She would feel the same if it had been her.

Eve let out a sigh and buried her face in his shoulder. Draco stroked her hair lovingly in the silence. He breathed in its scent – sweet lilac – mixed with the scent of her and her blood. To Humans, blood had a metallic kind of taste, to Vampires, it was very different. To him, Eve smelt of a mouth-watering mixture of chocolate and cinnamon, with maybe a little taste of the woodland, and it was almost irresistible.

"Draco," Eve mumbled.

"Yes, little one?"

"I think I need to go home now."

"Why? It's barely even half past five," Draco said.

"I still think I should," Eve persisted.

"What is more important: going home or serving your Master?" he said dangerously.

Eve suddenly felt very vulnerable in his arms that had, a second ago, been a place of comfort. "You."

"Correct," Draco said. "I'll take you home in a little while."

Eve nodded, then summoned her courage and asked. "Do you think I could ever tell Chloe about us?"

"No," the Vampire growled stiffly.

"Why?" she whined.

"Because I said so," he said sternly.

"What harm could it do?"

"Eve, I said, no," Draco repeated, his patience wearing thin.

"Draco, please," Eve pleaded. "Chloe would respect your secret and it would make me a lot happier. She knows about Vampires and wouldn't do anything to try and take me away from you. And I know she won't be all like an annoying parent; she never has been. I hate hiding things from her."

"I'll think about it," Draco grumbled.

Eve smiled and hugged him again.

He didn't want to admit it but making Eve happy, even though what she'd asked went against his orders, made him feel warm all over. He listened to her soft breathing, feeling her chest slowly rise and fall against him. He could hear, even feel, her little heart beat through the barriers of her clothes. It was still rather fast, but then again, she always had a fast heart beat around him.

"Thank you, Dragon," the butterfly whispered.

Draco nuzzled her neck and purred, smiling at her name for him. Dragon. The Dragon and the Butterfly.

**So, what does everyone think? Please review!**

**Love and hugs xxx**


	14. Chapter 14: Eve's Tale

An urgent meeting had been called. Every lord, lady, representative of the people, everyone in the Capyli council had been summoned. Eve and Belle had been training at the time but, being a princess and an heir to the High General, their presence was necessary. It was so unexpected; no one had seen it coming. A meeting so serious had not been called in almost three decades. Something was wrong, very, very wrong.

Eve had no time to get the wound on her cheek healed so came to the meeting with a bloody face. Belle wasn't in much of a better state – Eve had given her a black eye by elbowing her in the face.

The Capyli sat around a round table, like the one in the legend of King Arthur and his knights. Eve sat in between Chloe and Thiazzi while Belle sat between her mother, Jo, and her father, who sat next to Chloe. Eve glanced around the table. She had been present in the council many times before, but today there were people she had never seen before in her life, and that worried her.

People had come in from the farthest corners of the Elven lands, using any means possible to get there as quickly as they could. The members all whispered amongst themselves, trying to fathom why they had been summoned in such a rush. Silence swept across the room as the King stood.

"I thank you for all being here on such short notice but the news that reached me is the most unnerving and most unexpected news I have ever received in my life," Asriel said. "The Durzians have disappeared."

Noise erupted in the council chambers. So many questions were passed around. Eve remained silent. She glanced at Belle, who was also sat in silence. Her uncle had been right: it was the most unexpected news. The Durzians had disappeared? How had they managed that? And why?

Asriel raised his hand, asking for quiet again.

"Then surely that means peace," one of the members. Eve knew him, he was from the town of Ashvale, a very peaceful place. The town lay to the east, far away from any of the conflict. He obviously didn't have much experience in warfare.

"No," Chloe spoke softly but firmly, "it does not. Not necessarily."

"If the Durzians are gone then there is no more need for war," he argued.

"We do not know that," Asriel interrupted.

"What could have caused this?" another one of the members asked. "Some kind of disease? Something they had to flee from suddenly?"

Asriel looked defeated for a second. "I don't know."

"I think they could be planning something," Thiazzi said.

"Planning what?" a woman asked. Eve knew her too. She was a wise warrior from the village of Snowmont, near the north-west of the kingdom.

"I'm not sure. It could be a trick to make us think that there is peace because they are gone. I don't doubt it," Thiazzi said.

"I think he's right," Chloe agreed. "It wouldn't be unlike the Durzians to be planning something. They could be waiting for us to get weak. It would be the perfect opportunity to strike."

"But can we be sure?" the wise woman asked.

"No, nothing can be sure," Chloe replied.

"But to have every single Durzian disappear?" another Elf exclaimed. "It's madness. How could they possibly manage that?"

"When did this happen?" the woman from Snowmont asked.

"We are unsure of the exact time," Asriel said. "But within the last twenty-four hours, every Durzian has disappeared. Two days ago, a group of hunters passed a Durzian village on the border, only to find it completely deserted. No people, no horses, no other animals of any kind. There were no fires burning and most of their possessions were missing. The hunters moved to the next town only to find the exact same thing. Several parties were sent out. They discovered every town, even the capital Vinemarl to be completely empty."

"Then there is no chance it could have been a disease," Thiazzi said. "And it couldn't have been something they had to flee from either; they wouldn't have had time to collect everything they owned."

"Then what do we do?" the peace lover from Ashvale asked.

"We must stay on our guard and never let it down, even if we do not see the Durzians for another decade. We cannot risk the kingdom falling because we gave in to our desire of peace," Asriel said. "Soldiers shall still be trained and we shall remain within our borders. I highly doubt that we have seen the last of the Durzians."

News of the Durzians' disappearance spread through Aseridia like a wildfire. Within a couple of hours, everybody knew. Eve was glad that there weren't going to be many changes, she didn't want change. She forgot about the wound on her face and got back to her training with Belle. Now December had arrived, it was colder than ever. Lartia kept her students moving the whole time so they didn't freeze. The ground was hard as iron, still coated with frost.

In the middle of fighting Renn, Eve caught sight of Harry, Ron and Hermione, who had come down to watch. Hermione smiled and gave her a little wave. She was only allowed a second's glance before Renn knocked her over.

"Bitch," Eve grinned as Renn helped her up.

"You all right?" Renn asked.

"No, you hurt my bum," Eve whined and Renn laughed.

"I'm sorry," she giggled. "Aren't you gonna get Lyra to look at that scratch on your face?"

Eve shrugged. "Nah, can't be bothered." She then called to Lartia, "Are we done for today?"

The woman turned from watching Remmera and Tristan fight and called back. "Yeah, I'll see you later!"

Renn stretched. "Right, I'm going to have a hot bath and relax."

"Have fun," Eve said.

"You not going home?"

"No, not yet. See ya," Eve sheathed Za'rocaella and walked over to Harry, Ron and Hermione.

Hermione's hair was blowing all over the place but her hat kept it out of her face. All three of them stood huddled together, teeth chattering and cheeks bright red.

"What are you doing out here? It's freezing," Eve said.

"We came to see you," Hermione stuttered. "See how you were doing. What happened to your face?"

"Got it earlier today. Don't worry, it's fine."

"We heard about the Durzians," Harry said.

"Yeah, everyone has," Eve nodded, starting to grow cold herself. "Come back to my house. I can get you a hot chocolate or something and then I'll tell you. We'll freeze to death out here."

"Thank you," Hermione managed to stammer out.

The three wizards walked with Eve to her house, all staying close to each other, stealing whatever warmth they could.

"So what do you do in your average day?" Hermione asked her.

"In the morning it's training, either sword fighting, archery, riding, magic, everything. We get our afternoons off to do whatever we please," Eve said.

"Do you train everyday?" Ron said.

"Most days. No one really cares if you miss a day or two, just as long as you can keep up. It's all quite chilled actually which is ironic, or was, considering we were in a war," she told him.

"How do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Well, there are no druggies or murders or anything like that so it's not a big deal if you're out alone at night or if you go missing for a day or half a day, stuff like that," Eve said.

It wasn't a very long walk to Eve's house. She was just as cold as the other three by the time they got there though.

"Are you sure your aunt won't mind us coming here?" Harry asked, not wanting to enter a house where he wasn't welcome.

"No, it's fine," Eve said, opening the front door. "Come on in."

Ron closed the door behind him being the last one in. The three wizards looked around the cosy home that seemed to give off friendly greetings to everyone who entered.

Chloe was in the sitting room, playing with Benzan and Zachary. She looked up to see the four fifteen year olds and smiled at them. "Hi," she greeted. "Is it really cold out there?"

"Freezing," Eve nodded, taking off her jacket and hanging it up. "You can put your coats up here," she said to her brother and his friends.

"Thank you," Harry said politely as he shrugged out of his coat hung it up. Ron and Hermione did the same.

"Right," Eve said. "Let's go and get something to warm us up."

They followed her into the kitchen. She gestured for them to sit around the table.

"Have you always lived here?" Hermione asked to get conversation going.

"Since I moved here, yeah," Eve nodded as she reached up and got four mugs out of the cupboard.

"Tell us what happened with the Durzians," Harry said, dismissing unnecessary chit-chat.

"They've gone. They've completely disappeared," Eve summarised.

"Really?" Hermione said.

"Yep. We don't know where they've gone or if they're coming back. My uncle thinks they're planning something. It must be something pretty big if they go to this extent," Eve went on to tell them everything she knew from the meeting while she made them all a hot chocolate.

While they sat drinking, Eve was asked to tell the story she thought she'd never have to tell. Harry had asked her, "When did the war with the Durzians begin?"

Eve was instantly taken aback by the question, partly because every Elf knew so the story was never asked of her. She knew the story so well. It was engraved in her mind. It was a terrible story. It reminded Eve of what she really was and what she and she alone had become.

"It began almost seven hundred years ago," she began. "The Capyli were a small, very peaceful tribe of Elves. All Elves were peaceful in those days. They were friends with lots of other small clans, and together they prospered and grew. They built castles and citadels, but they were still peaceful and not a drop of blood was spilt to build the small empire. It was created to bring the people together and lasted almost a hundred and fifty years. But because they were so kind, they were also weak. During that time, another clan had developed, a military clan, which went by the name of the Durzians. They were power hungry. They saw how the Capyli Empire had become so successful, and they wanted its riches.

"The Capyli clan had no weapons and they were utterly defenceless against the Durzians' attack. Two thirds of the Elves were slaughtered, the rest made into slaves. More than half the slaves died over the years of the Durzian's reign. Something was created, I don't know what, no one knows, and it bound the Elves as slaves forever. Their tyranny lasted for four hundred years. But about a hundred and fifty years ago, the Elves planned a revolt, bent on hatred and their suffering but mostly their desperation for freedom and to return to the old ways, just like in the stories they had been told.

"The Elves were clever and managed to come up with a plan that would give them a chance of escaping. It was a great success; most of the Elves managed to escape but they were still slaves. That would not change until whatever caused that to be was destroyed. And that is what we are fighting to destroy today. The Elves built their empire again, but not peaceful as it once had been though it was how they wished they could live, but with the Durzians they knew they couldn't. We became a military clan, fighting against our old masters, hoping to find whatever it was that bound us as slaves. Some people say it's just a myth and that we are no longer slaves because we freed ourselves. But it doesn't change our aims to destroy the Durzian Empire.

"And it's different for me. Everybody else was born into this. They're all descendants of those first Elves; I was adopted into all this. I was born free only to be taken into a place where I am a slave who fights for their real freedom. I sometimes wish I had been born into this so I'd be like everyone else."

Eve looked like she was going to cry. Hermione wrapped her arm around the Elf's shoulder, who gladly accepted the comforting gesture and rested her head against the witch's shoulder.

Eve was upset for two reasons.

One was the fact that she had been born to Wizarding parents, not Elven parents. Her family had not suffered at the hands of the Durzians for generations on end. Eve would have been just a normal witch had she not been changed into an Elf when she was one. She should never have been made an Elf, a slave. She had been born free but was now fighting for a freedom as a result of something she had nothing to do with.

Second was that she was only Elf alive that hadn't come from an Elven family that had been around since the first Capyli Empire. She felt almost left out because her history was not shared by any other Elf. But the Durzians had wronged her, being an Elf or not, and she wanted revenge for that, and for the suffering they caused for all those other Elves.

"I'm sorry," she said wiping away her tears that had not yet managed to fall. "I just hate that story."

Harry clasped her hand. "Don't be. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"But now the Durzians are gone doesn't that mean peace again?" Hermione said gently.

"We don't know," Eve said. "We all want there to be peace but the circumstances are far too suspicious. The Durzians aren't gone for good, I know it."

"There's something else we need to talk about," Harry said, after a moment's pause.

"Voldemort?" Eve easily guessed.

"Yes. He's getting stronger every day. And I've been having these dreams."

"What about?" Eve asked.

"Voldemort and I are both searching for something, a kind of key and it's really important but I'm not sure exactly what it is. Belle said it could be a vision of the future," he said.

Eve nodded. "She's probably right. It could be that you're both searching to find a way to defeat the other one."

"Yeah, she said that too," Harry said softly. "It worries me. What if Voldemort gets it first?"

"Then you're probably screwed," Eve answered plainly. "If he finds the key to bringing you down, he'll exploit it and bleed it white."

"Well, then we have to find it first," Harry said.

"Obviously. Do you know where it is?" Eve asked.

The wizard shook his head. "No."

"There's nothing in your dreams that can tell you?"

"I don't know but they're getting stronger every time. I might be able to work it out."

"But if we don't know where it is then there's not much else we can do," Eve said.

Eve curled up on her bed, alone, crying out her eyes. Her shoulders hitched violently with each sob she choked out. Another large tear slid down her red face onto the pillow below. She hated that story almost as much as she hated the Durzians. It brought back the horrible reminder that she was the only Elf in existence that had not come from the same descendants. She, and she alone, had been brought into this war, having been born a witch not an Elf. It was the reminder that she was different from everyone else.

It sounded odd, perhaps even selfish, but she wanted to be like all the other Elves. To have come from generations of suffering; to be fighting to avenge her ancestors who fell under the Durzian's tyranny.

And it broke her heart also thinking about what those poor men and women and children must have endured. The cruelty, the suffering, the sorrow and the anger and everlasting hope for freedom. And although she was not a true descendant, Eve still wanted to fight for them.

"Eve," came a soft, deep voice.

The weeping girl raised her head from the pillow, her eyes partly clouded with tears. She sniffed and cleared a bit of hair out of her face.

"What has harmed you?" Draco asked, worry mixed within his voice. He crouched down beside her bed, his eyes fixed on the scratch on her cheek, but it didn't look new. "Who did that to you?"

Eve shook her head, unable to quite speak yet.

"Eve, who did that to you?" the Vampire repeated in a softer voice.

She shook her head again. "It's not that," she said weakly.

"Then why are you crying?" he asked gently.

"It doesn't matter," Eve looked away, holding back another wave of sobs and tears.

"Yes, it does," Draco said.

Eve couldn't hold it back anymore. She started to cry again and lost the ability to speak. Draco felt a horrible pain in his chest, a terrible ache weighing him down. He did not like to see his Butterfly hurt and upset. He sat on her bed beside her, softly stroking her hair as she cried. It hurt him even more when she did not stop, she could not stop. He may have belonged to the most powerful species in the world and been an extremely powerful individual of that species, but his immense strength and colossal power would not stop a little girl from crying.

He slowly lay down next to her and offered her his embrace, which the weeping girl gladly accepted. Draco's strong, bulky arms formed a cage of warmth and protection around her tiny body. Nothing else would hurt her, not while she was there, Draco would not allow that. He hushed her gently and murmured sweet nonsense into her ear, at the same time slowly rocking her in his arms.

Eve nuzzled her nose against the soft fabric of his shirt and wrapped one arm around his neck. She just wanted to cry it all away, all her sad feelings about anything. She just wanted to let it all out be rid of it. And she was glad Draco was there to hold her and support her while she was so vulnerable. Eventually she calmed down to the occasional sob and only a few tears.

"What has made you like this?" Draco whispered.

Eve shook her head. She didn't want to tell him; she probably wouldn't be able to say a sentence without bursting into tears again.

"Very well," he said. "Do you want me to stay?"

The girl nodded, unknowingly clutching to him. Draco's arms constricted around her, telling her that he wasn't going anywhere. His leg moved over hers, bringing her whole form as close to him as possible. He wondered what could have made her so sad. Draco had never seen her this emotionally vulnerable before; he'd seen her frightened so many times – she was always frightened around him – and he'd seen her strong and he'd seen her weak, he'd seen her happy, gentle and sweet. But he'd never seen her like this.

Draco wished there was something he could do to make her sad feelings go away, but he had no idea what to do other than hold her and offer her his love. For Eve it was enough, it was more than enough.

"I love you, Dragon," she whispered.

Draco held her as tight as he could without hurting her. "And I you, my butterfly," he whispered back, a smile etched upon his pale face.

He held and rocked Eve in his arms until she drifted to sleep, softly hushing and lulling her into a peaceful slumber. He licked the wound on her face clean, his extraordinary saliva healing it in a matter of seconds. Draco looked into Eve's face. It was now peaceful and still. The tear stains were clearly visible on her cheeks and the rims of her eyes were still red.

"What drove you to this?" he spoke barely above a whisper. "What happened to you?"

Suddenly there was a very gentle knock at the door. Draco cursed himself. He'd been so focused on Eve that he hadn't been listening out for people. The door opened and Chloe peeped around the door, only to be met with the sight she least expected to see. Jumping in shock, her hand flew up to cover her mouth. Eve was fast asleep with a huge young man wrapped protectively and possessively around her. His eyes were tinted red and aggressive at the sight of an intruder.

Chloe instantly reached for the dagger in her belt, which she carried at all times, and pointed it at the stranger. Draco instantly relaxed and held up his palm to show he wasn't a threat to her. He could see the fear in the woman's eyes. Draco then put his finger to his lips, his eyes remaining calm.

Chloe slowly lowered her dagger. She knew this young man was a Vampire and therefore she was helpless, and what's more he had Eve in his grasp.

"It's all right," Draco said softly so as not to wake the sleeping girl, his palm still facing the High General. "I'm not going to hurt you or Eve."

"Who are you?" Chloe asked, keeping her eye line a bit lower than his. She knew about Vampires and knew she had to be the more submissive of the two, no matter how bold or confident she normally was.

"Draco Malfoy," he answered smoothly.

Chloe remembered Eve mentioning him a few months ago and telling her that his family had always been supporters of Lord Voldemort.

"I believe I have quite a lot of explaining to do," Draco said.

"Why don't you come downstairs and we can talk about this," Chloe suggested. "I think I know what Eve is upset about."

Draco carefully unwrapped himself from the little Elf and followed her aunt downstairs. Chloe offered him a seat the table and sat opposite.

"So, why is Eve so upset?" Draco asked.

"Before that I want to know how you're involved with my niece," Chloe said.

Draco sat forward. "Very well…" Draco told his story to the High General, how he was turned, how Eve helped him, how he claimed her, how Belle had been taken and Eve went to rescue her, and then how he had found her so broken that afternoon.

"And you say you have no idea why you were turned?" Chloe asked.

"No, none at all," Draco shook his head. "I wish I knew."

"I understand," the Elf said. "Is Eve all right with you? Is she happy?"

"I hope so. I know she has feelings for me. But tell me why she was so upset," he said.

"Earlier I heard her talking to Harry and his friends. They were talking about the Durzians and Harry asked how the war began in the first place and Eve told them. And it breaks every Elf's heart to tell that story because it's the brutal reminder of what we are and what our kind was put through," Chloe stopped and told Draco a brief version of the story so he'd understand. "And Eve is the only Elf in existence who is not descended from the survivors but she still hates the Durzians for what they did to the Elven ancestors and what they have done to her. She feels almost left out because she different from every other Elf and she was brought into this fight when it was not hers. She was born a witch not an Elf – or at least that's what we think."

"What?" Draco's jaw dropped.

"It's probably not important at all but there are some out there who think that Eve was actually born an Elf. It's highly unlikely because then Harry would be an Elf too and he's not, nor were their parents. We've never talked to Eve about it. It could get her hopes up and they would probably end up being crushed," Chloe told him. "Draco?"

"Yes?"

"Promise you'll take care of her."

"Of course I will," Draco promised.

**A/N: So there's another little mystery about Eve. Hope you all enjoyed. If you're confused about anything don't be afraid to ask and I'll explain everything x**

**Love and hugs xxx**


	15. Chapter 15: A Hidden Hero

**Hey everyone, here's a nice long chapter for you!**

**LoveIsAllWeNeed, first of all thanks for being so supportive! Afraid there won't be much Draco/Eve in this chapter but there will be LOTS of them in the next chapter so don't worry ;)**

**Anyway, on we go!**

Four months quickly went by. By the end of March, spring had made its grand arrival, banishing the winter in nothing but a memory. There had been no sign of the Durzians, not even a whisper. Every week, search parties went out and rode through their lands, checking that they had not come back, and every week the answer was the same. Aseridia was becoming a much happier place but Asriel ordered that defences would not be taken down as a precaution, and most agreed with him. They could never be too careful but everyone was so much happier.

Everything seemed to be looking up.

Eve had grown a lot stronger in her magic, her bonds with Harry and Draco had strengthened considerably too. The Order of the Phoenix had been building itself back up with the help of the Elves now they didn't have a great war to fight and they were able to lend some soldiers to help protect, but not attack.

Harry had still been having dreams every night and they were gradually getting stronger. He had discovered that whatever he and Voldemort were searching for was somewhere deep in a cave in the Wizarding lands.

Late one evening, Eve and Harry lay in the meadow, gazing up at the starry night sky. It was not very cold that night and there was not one cloud in the sky. The twins lay shoulder to shoulder, their hands over their stomachs. They'd already been there for hours. They watched the sun fall and the stars appear.

"It's beautiful out here," Harry murmured.

"I know. I used to come here all the time with my aunt when I was younger," Eve said dreamily.

"You're so lucky you had an actual family," Harry said. "My aunt and uncle hate me."

"How come?"

"Because I'm a wizard and they hate magic and everything to do with it."

"Well you can always stay here if you like," Eve suggested. "You'd always be welcome."

"It would be better than living with the Dursleys, I suppose," Harry said.

Eve yawned. She wished she could have fallen asleep there under the stars.

"You tired?" Harry grinned when she yawned a second time.

Eve nodded with a sigh. They lay together in silence for a little while, trying to make out constellations in the sky. Eve paused to think of Draco. He dominated her thoughts rather often nowadays. She remembered that day in early December when he had found her broken and comforted her until she could cry no more. And that was the same day she first said that he loved him.

Since that day, Eve had loved him, her Dragon, her Master. But she kept her love for him hidden because she didn't want things to move too quickly. She could tell Draco was growing restless with her resistance to accepting that she had fallen in love with him. She knew Draco wanted to create the bond of Guardian with her, and that was partly why she held most of her feelings back. The idea of being Draco's Mate scared her. Eve knew she belonged to him already but making her his Mate would set it in stone and bind her to him forever. For the past couple of months, Draco had been much softer with her but she knew he would become extremely dominant and possessive again once the bond was created.

Eve had read about a Vampire claiming a Human to be their Mate. It had to be done with a special kind of bite where the Vampire injected a kind of venom that bound them together in an unbreakable bond but the bite only worked if the Human was willing. It was their last line of defence. And then the ritual had to be consummated. Now, Eve and Draco had been quite intimate in the past four months but he had not yet taken her. Eve knew he wanted to. She, on the other hand, was not yet ready for it, and Draco promised he wouldn't take her until she was ready and wanted it. Not to say she hadn't been thinking about it.

"You've gone very quiet," Harry said, jogging Eve from her thoughts.

"Just thinking," she responded quietly.

"About what?" Harry asked innocently.

"Draco," Eve blushed.

"Lovely," Harry groaned, wishing he had never opened his mouth.

"You wanted to know," the Elf laughed. "It's your own fault."

"You know I really hate the idea of him…_owning _you," Harry forced out.

"I know you do," Eve muttered. "But there's nothing you can do to change it."

"I wish there was," he grumbled.

"Why? It's not any of your business who I have feelings for," Eve sat up and turned to her side.

"You have feelings for him?" Harry's eyes widened.

"So what if I do?"

"He forced you to become his. He hurt you!"

"Things are different with Vampires. And he's not all bad. He is possessive and dominating and has a very bad temper but he's been very kind and gentle with me. It's just the way things are," Eve said. "We were brought together on the night that he was changed. We were needed for something, otherwise why single us out? And we still have no idea what. And if you try to interfere he'll…he'll… … he'll kill you. I wouldn't be able to stop him."

"There must be something you can do if you ever want to get out of it," Harry said.

"I don't know," she said sadly. "But I don't want to think about that because I don't want to get out of it. Changing the subject, have you managed to find out where this cave is yet?"

"It's an underground cave in the far north-west," Harry said as he recalled his dreams.

"That creates a problem," Eve said. "We'll have half of Voldemort's army to get past before we even get close. You got any ideas?"

"No," the boy shook his head. "I was hoping you might."

"We could fly," Eve suggested.

"How?"

"That I don't know," she replied sheepishly. "Wait."

"What?"

"Can you Apparate to Terrinian?"

"Only from inside it. We couldn't Apparate from Aseridia to Terrinian," Harry said.

"If we just crossed the border then we could Apparate there," Eve said.

"But we can't Apparate."

"My aunt and uncle can. And they'd be good help if we were found and had to fight our way out. I'm sure I cou-," Eve's voice trailed off.

Through the trees, there was a flicker of movement that could only be mistaken for one creature.

"What?" Harry asked. "Eve, what is it?" He was getting a little worried when she didn't answer, having seemed to have frozen. He could see fear blossom in her eyes and her breathing became uneven. "Eve," he repeated, louder this time.

Shaken from her trance, Eve, swallowing a gulp, turned back to Harry and answered in a shaking voice, "He's here."

"You don't have to go. You're terrified," Harry exclaimed.

"Yes, I have to go. He doesn't look very happy which probably means he's been listening to our conversation," Eve said uneasily.

"Is he going to hurt you?" Harry asked desperately. He couldn't let this go on, could he?

"I don't think so," the girl shook her head. "He's probably angry at you more than me. I have to go. Can you get back okay?"

"Yeah, I've done it loads of times. Please be careful," he begged, his emerald eyes wide.

"I will," Eve placed a gentle kiss on Harry's cheek before getting up and going to her Master.

She glanced back over her shoulder and saw Harry had also got to his feet; he was watching her closely. Inside Eve wished he would just go. He couldn't seem to understand that there was nothing he could do and it was none of his business.

The Elf gulped at the look plastered on Draco's face. She begged that it wasn't aimed at her.

"He can't let it go, can he?" Draco growled. "Even after all this time he still wants you to be away from me."

"You know there's nothing he can do or-," Draco cut her off.

"Or I'll kill him," he finished for her. "Yes, you're right, my butterfly. I will kill him."

"Draco, stop it," she said calmly. "You're being irrational."

"Your brother is still standing there," the Vampire pointed out.

Flustered with frustration, Eve half jogged back to Harry. "What's wrong with you? Go, now."

"I really don't like this. Don't go with him," Harry pleaded.

"Harry, stop it," Eve told him firmly. "I've been with him for months. This isn't your business. Harry, please go."

She noticed that his attention was suddenly diverted from her as Draco came up behind her.

"Evening, Potter," he sneered with a smug smirk. He now towered over Harry and could kill him with a simple flick of his wrist, less than that. "Would you be so kind as to leave us now? I think Eve would prefer it if I didn't kill you."

Eve spun on her heels. "Draco, don't even think about it." She would not have him threatening her brother.

Draco chuckled and bent down to her petite height. "And you're going to stop me, are you?"

Eve bit her lips nervously and she knew that Draco knew she was frightened in standing up to him. Her eyes flickered to meet his, but otherwise rested somewhere on his face that weren't his eyes. She swallowed and turned back to Harry.

"Please go."

Harry nodded and began to walk away. Eve let out a sigh as he disappeared into the forest. An arm snaked around her waist and, with a little squeak, Eve quickly turned to face her Dominant.

"Being a bit of a naughty girl, are we?" he teased.

"No, you just can't ever do anything to Harry. Never," she tried to sound firm but her voice shook no matter how hard she tried.

"Don't worry," Draco said stroking her silky hair. "They're just empty threats. Most of the time. I wouldn't hurt him because then I would hurt you."

"So, you're not angry with me?" Eve asked slowly.

"No," he answered simply. "I have become very soft with you haven't I? I've not punished you once in the past three months, even when I should have."

"Maybe I've just been good that whole time," Eve's face lit up into a sweet smile.

"That's not possible," Draco smirked.

Draco walked Eve back home. He was welcomed inside by Chloe, whom he'd come to know and like quite well, and offered to stay the night. He accepted gladly. He and Chloe sat down by the fire while Eve went to get changed. They both watched the flames dance in an unpredictable routine. The two were alone; Benzan and Zach had been put to bed long ago.

"Draco," Chloe began softly. "I know you've been thinking about making Eve your Mate – she's mentioned it quite a few times and I was wondering if you could tell me what would happen if you did."

Draco eased back in the armchair he sat in. "I would have to take her away for a while. A month or two."

"Why?" Chloe inquired.

"Because once her Guardian, I will become even more dominating and possessive. I'd probably try to kill anyone who even came close to her, and I'd have to punish her if she did anything even slightly out of line. So everyone would be much, _much _safer if I was alone with her for a while until I calmed down," Draco explained.

"When were you planning on doing this?"

"When Eve is ready for it," the Vampire replied coolly.

"Well it cannot be soon," Chloe said and ,ignoring the slight snarl from Draco, continued, "She and Harry have an important mission to fulfil. Everyday Harry gets closer to finding out where this cave is. Let them complete the mission first before you do anything. It wouldn't be unwise to take Eve away while Harry needs her most."

Draco did not like to be told what he could and could not do, but Chloe was right. Eve carried a great burden and making her his Mate could wait a while. A soft pitter-patter of small feet announced Eve's arrival for her. She was dressed in an old tank top and short shorts, revealing quite a lot of her little body, much to Draco's liking.

"Chloe, I'm going to need you and uncle Thiazzi to help me and Harry in getting to the cave. We're going to Apparate there but we're not old enough to have learned so we'll need you to get us there," she said in a soft, tired voice.

The High General nodded. "I can do that. Just let me know when you'll need us. You look tired, Eve. You should go to bed."

As if on cue, Eve yawned and nodded sleepily. Draco grinned and rose from his chair. He put his hand possessively on the small of her back and led her back upstairs.

"Night, Chloe," Eve said.

"Night, you two," Chloe smiled and turned back to the fire.

Draco closed and locked the door of Eve's bedroom once they were inside. Eve went straight to her bed. She curled up in the covers while Draco closed the curtains for her. Eve tried to not to stare like a love-struck, blushing school girl as the Vampire removed his tight shirt to reveal his glorious, god-like body. She had never seen so much muscle on one person but his monstrous height evened out his bulk. A few inches shorter and he would have been almost too muscular. But he wasn't. Draco's physical form was practically perfect, from Eve's point of view anyway. Someone else might say different.

"Admiring the view?" Draco smirked when he caught her looking at him.

To hide her embarrassment, Eve dipped her head into her pillow, concealing her blushing face. She heard Draco's rich, deep laughter and then felt the large bed sink with his weight. Draco threw the covers away and climbed into the bed next to her. He kicked off his shoes and socks and relaxed into the mattress. His much heavier weight hollowed the bed and caused Eve to roll into him. Draco's arms encircled her and locked her to him. Shyly, Eve placed a little kiss on his chest, in the dip between his pectoral muscles.

"Do they scare you?" Draco asked as he raised his arm and flexed his bicep, looking at the bulging muscle not her.

"Well, they're very impressive," Eve said.

"Why, thank you," Draco smoothly replied. "But do you find them scary at all?"

Eve nodded a little. "They're very intimidating."

"Very good," Draco hummed, lowering his arm and wrapping around her.

He curled himself around her, completely swallowing her body, and lowered his lips to her ear. "Just think, little one, one little slip, one tiny little squeeze too hard and you'll be crushed. Anything of mine could break you," he purred into her ear.

Eve shivered in his grasp. "Draco," she warned uselessly, breathlessly.

"Think of all the power they hold, ready to destroy everything they touch. Iron and stone would crumble to dusk against my body, just think of what I could do to you, a tiny, fragile, helpless little girl," he growled darkly, pleased with her continuous shivers. Grinning to himself, he nipped her ear and ran his tongue gently along her neck.

"Enough, Draco," she whispered.

"I was just toying with you," he chuckled. "You know I'd never do that to you."

He buried his nose in her dark hair, inhaling its scent. He reached over and turned out the lamp on Eve's bedside table, engulfing the room in darkness. Eve closed her eyes and settled happily in Draco's tight embrace, and was soon lulled to sleep by his gentle purrs.

Another week slowly passed, each day seeing to drag on for longer than the one before. Harry was so close to knowing exactly where the cave was but he had to wait an entire day before he could sleep and discover more of his dreams. He tried everything to pass the hours of the day. He practiced magic, he went riding with Eve, he went on long walks through the forest, sometimes with company, sometimes alone, but nothing really worked. The hours just prolonged like they were doing it on purpose to irritate him.

As instructed by Chloe, Eve searched Rivermoor and Ivymere high and low in search of Harry. The High General wanted to go over a plan with Harry, with Eve and Thiazzi for when they went to the cave to retrieve the key. Eve eventually found her brother in the library of the Wizards' accommodation. She tilted her head to see what book he was reading as she approached. It was some kind of advanced spell book. Magic used by wizards and Elves were very different on most occasions, both could Apparate and had a way of seeing into the minds of others but they were different.

"Harry, Chloe wants to see you," Eve said quietly.

Harry looked up from his book, having not noticed her arrival. "Oh, now?"

Eve nodded. Harry closed the book and got up, not bothering to put it away. He followed Eve back to her house and told her he would probably only need another night's sleep to figure out where they would have to go.

The Potters sat down at the table, opposite Chloe and Thiazzi.

"Chloe tells me you want our help in finding this…key," Thiazzi said slowly.

"Yes. It will tell me what I need to do to defeat Voldemort but it'll also tell him what he'll need to defeat me so we have to get it first," Harry said.

"First things first, if Lord Voldemort will be searching for this too then the four of us won't be able to do this alone," Thiazzi said. "Are there any of your wizard friends who can help us too?"

"I don't want Ron and Hermione getting involved in this but there are some members of the Order that could help. There's Sirius and Remus, Tonks and Mad-Eye," Harry listed.

Eve knew none of these people; it seemed that Chloe did though. The High General nodded in approval. "Get whoever you can. Better safe than sorry."

Thiazzi looked to Eve. "Do you want to bring any of your friends with you?"

She shook her head. "No. This isn't their fight so there's no point them getting involved in this."

"Not even Belle?" the older man questioned, a little surprised at her answer.

"No, not even Belle," Eve clarified.

"Careful she doesn't skin you alive," Chloe grinned.

Eve smiled. "I'm more than a match for her."

"I know you are," Chloe's turquoise eyes twinkled as she smiled at her niece.

"So the plan will be as follows," Thiazzi interrupted, breaking the little moment between the High General and her heir. "We and whoever will be accompanying us will cross the border into Terrinian. From there we will be able to Apparate to the cave and find this key before Voldemort does. Everyone clear?"

Everybody around the table nodded. It was a simple enough plan but everyone knew the phrase 'easier said than done'.

"So, Harry, you need to get everyone you need together and the moment you find out where this cave is, we'll move out," Chloe said and Harry nodded.

"Are we gonna need a lot of weapons?" Eve asked.

"Oh, I should think so," the corners of Thiazzi's mouth twitched upwards. "It's not going to be all daisies and daffodils up there. I'd recommend you take your sword and your dagger and wear your leg and wrist guards."

"Will I need all that?" Eve asked. She would have thought Za'rocaella would have been enough.

"If you get into a fight it'll be close contact. You don't have a wand," Thiazzi said.

There was a pause of silence. Eve thought about Harry coming back after he'd told the members of the Order about the plan and staying the night so he didn't have to come all the way to her house from the lodge to get them, especially when he was sure he only needed one more night.

"Harry should stay the night," Eve said. "It'll be easier for us that way."

"Would you mind Harry?" Chloe asked.

"No, not at all," Harry said. "But I'll have to tell the others and get some of my things."

"Yeah, yeah," Eve said quickly. "You can share my room if you like."

Harry gave her a small smile. His sister was a very sweet girl.

"Well if that's everything, I should get back to work," Thiazzi said as he pushed his chair away from the table.

"I should be getting on too," Chloe agreed, also getting up. "Toddlers don't bath themselves."

She disappeared up the stairs. Thiazzi had already gone, leaving the two fifteen years olds by themselves. Eve felt a bit awkward just sitting there so she stood up and walked around the kitchen. She perched herself on one of the counters, feeling more comfortable there.

"You know, I don't think Ron and Hermione will be very pleased about you not wanting them to go with you," she said.

"It's for the best," Harry replied. "And what about Belle?"

"I can handle her," Eve answered coolly. "And anyway, she's an Elf. This is not her fight. But it's Ron's and Hermione's fight as well as ours."

"I can't risk them getting hurt," Harry said.

"Isn't that up to them?" she tilted her head in confusion at her brother. She couldn't understand why he was getting so precious about it when surely it should have been Ron and Hermione's choice if they fought against Voldemort or not.

She knew that Belle would probably not be very happy that she didn't want her to go with her but this battle had nothing to do with the princess and there was no need for her to get involved. For Ron and Hermione on the other hand, it was a different story. This _was _their fight and it should have been their choice if they took part.

"I just don't want them getting hurt," Harry told her.

"I understand," Eve backed down. "You should go and get your things and tell everyone you need to get about the plan."

Harry nodded and got to his feet, tucking his chair back in. "Are you coming?"

"No, don't feel like it and I have to get my weapons ready anyway," Eve shrugged. "I'll see you in a bit."

Once Harry had gone, Eve trotted upstairs and gathered what she would need: her sword, her dagger and her leg and arm guards. After giving Za'rocaella a quick polish, Eve hung her in the glass cabinet on her wall, much like the one in her room at the palace, which caused her to suddenly remember that her full armour was still there. Her arm and legs guards for everyday training were in her room but the ones that went with her battle armour were also at the palace. Shrugging to herself, Eve decided that her everyday ones would suffice.

Eve then made her bed for when Harry came back to stay the night. Either they'd share the bed (it was definitely big enough) or he'd have the bed and she'd crash on the floor or the sofa downstairs. She sank down on the neatly made bed. It was odd that thinking about going to the cave didn't scare or unnerve her in the slightest. Eve remembered how afraid she had been on the morning of her first battle, how afraid everyone had been. But thinking about the upcoming quest didn't faze her at all. She felt ready for it.

Harry returned a little later with a few of his things for the night. He and Eve agreed to share her bed for the night; Eve guessed Draco wouldn't be happy about that. He'd just have to deal with it. After a delicious supper, the twins went to bed early in order to get plenty of rest. Thiazzi gave Harry a Sleeping Draught so his dreams would be clearer. Thiazzi would also be staying the night in the Rider house. Chloe had made an arrangement with Lyra Mafalda to look after Benzan and Zach if she had to leave the next morning.

That night Eve and Harry slept back to back, both their heads filled with dreams though they were quite different dreams. Eve was awoken a couple of times by her brother shuffling in his sleep but she did nothing to stop it; she might have ended up disrupting his dreams if she woke him. She waited for him to still again and slipped back into sleep.

The next morning, before the sun had risen, Eve was stirred by Harry gently shaking her. With a moan, Eve opened her eyes into slits and rolled onto her back. "Hmm?" she groaned.

"I know where the cave is," Harry said, wide awake.

"What? Where?" Eve croaked huskily.

"It's…I can't really explain," Harry said.

"Get Chloe to look into your mind. She'll be able to find it," the Elf said while she rubbed her eyes.

"You're not a morning person are you?" Harry asked grinning.

"How did you ever guess?" Eve mumbled sarcastically, also noticing Harry was already dressed.

Harry went to get Chloe and show her the location of the cave while Eve got dressed into her usual training clothes. Curling a strand of loose hair behind her ear, she went to retrieve Za'rocaella from the glass cabinet and tied the sword around her waist, and then slipped her dagger into the sheath attached to her boot. She quickly checked that she had everything before hurrying downstairs.

She, Harry, Thiazzi and Chloe left the house almost at once, leaving the toddlers with Lyra. They rushed to meet the handful of members from the Order. Eve had no idea where they were going; she just followed Chloe. Through the spring morning mist, the young Elf could see four figures awaiting them. As they drew closer she saw that it was three men and one woman. The woman had lavender coloured hair, that struck Eve the most, and an almost cheeky grin on her face. Her eyes moved to the three men next. One of them looked pale and very tired, he had a scarred face but he still looked kind. The man standing next to him was in a much healthier looking condition. He had curly brown hair and a kind face, slightly worn with lines of age. The third man was a bit more shocking. He had a bright blue eye in place of his real one, held in place by a strap wrapped around his head. Eve tried not to stare.

"So this is Eve Potter," the curly haired man smiled warmly. "I'm Sirius Black, yours and Harry's godfather. I'm sorry we could not have met sooner."

"It's good to meet you," Eve said with a shy smile, a little taken aback to hear that this man was her godfather.

"This is Remus, Tonks and Mad-Eye Moody," Sirius gestured to each of the wizards in turn. As Eve expected Mad-Eye was the man with the strange blue eye. Remus was the other tired looking man and Tonks was the lavender haired woman.

"Wotcha," Tonks said with a wink.

Eve liked her already. Remus smiled and nodded to the Elf but didn't say anything. At the same time, Chloe and Thiazzi introduced themselves to the wizards.

"I hope we're done with all this nonsense," Mad-Eye grunted; he turned and began limping on his way towards the border. "We've got a key to find."

No one made any fuss and followed after him. Chloe took the lead while Eve stayed near the back with Harry. She stayed quiet, letting her hair fall as a veil around her face. Her fingers subconsciously traced patterns around Za'rocaella's hilt. Her closed body language told those around her that she wasn't in a mood to talk.

By the time they reached the border between Aseridia and Terrinian, the sun had broken through the dawn and was kissing all the land with its warmth and light. Eve was glad that they were coming from Aseridia; the magical barrier between the two kingdoms made it so that Death Eaters couldn't get into Aseridia without extreme difficulty, but people from Aseridia could easily get from one side to another. The border itself was a huge river, miles long and about twenty metres wide. Many large bridges were scattered along it, big enough for armies to march across.

"Rider, Harker," Mad-Eye growled, "You know where this cave is then?"

"Yes. Harry showed me," Chloe answered. "Eve, Harry, Sirius you come with me. The rest of you, go with Thiazzi."

"Let's hope Voldemort hasn't found this cave first," Eve heard Thiazzi mutter as he passed her.

Eve took hold of Chloe's hand, Harry held her other and then Sirius held his. Chloe fixed the image she had seen in Harry's mind in her own head and Disapparated.

Eve's legs hit solid ground but she felt incredibly dizzy. Her vision was slightly disoriented and acid was swirling in her stomach. Chloe gripped her arm until she was steady again.

"Thanks," Eve muttered.

She looked up, and her eyes were met with the sight of the cave. It lay within a mountain that stood tall before them, and it seemed to be heading downwards underground from what she could see. All was silent around them and they all hoped that meant they were alone.

"A couple of us should stay as lookouts," Thiazzi said.

"I'll do it," Mad-Eye grunted. "I won't be much good down in that cave."

"I'll stay with you," Remus offered.

"Well, then everyone," Sirius said. "Wands and swords ready."

Eve drew Za'rocaella from her sheath, holding her tight in her hand. Chloe and Thiazzi also drew their blades while the wizards drew their wands and cast a light spell, allowing them to see into the darkness of the cave. The six of them began to make their way into the cave. It turned out it did go downwards.

Eve kept close to Harry, following the light of his wand. She felt safe with him for a reason she couldn't pinpoint but she did all the same. The wizards and the Elves travelled in pairs. Eve with Harry, Chloe with Sirius and Thiazzi with Tonks. Harry led the way, trying to remember everything he could from his dreams. The light of the mouth of the cave was growing smaller and smaller and they were quickly completely dependent on the light of the wands.

Eve squinted her eyes and saw that the light was reflecting water off the stones. They must have been quite far underground to have found water. Everyone trod carefully. The ground was uneven and there were random stones and rocks all over the place and one could easily trip.

"Does anyone know what we're looking for?" Eve heard Thiazzi whisper through the darkness.

"It's a kind of stone basin," Harry answered. "And it's in the centre of the cave."

The three pairs were slowly drifting apart as they ventured further and further into the cave. Eve kept her mind alert for any other presences but she could find none. She could feel Chloe's mind also searching for the same thing as the energy of her mind brushed against Eve's. They continued searching, never finding what they were looking for. Eve and Harry were quite far away from the others. Eve made sure that she could sense their minds at all times in case anything happened.

All of a sudden, a flicker of light caught Eve's eye. She stopped and turned her head, narrowing her eyes. Harry quickly noticed her absence from his side and looked back over his shoulder. "Eve, what is it?"

Eve beckoned him over with her hand, not turning to look at him. The flicker of light came from a small passageway, leading further downwards. Eve crept down, treading carefully, her ears up and alert for anything. Harry followed after her, holding out his arm to provide her with light as she stepped down the rocky, treacherous passage. There were small puddles of icy water all around her, growing bigger the further she ventured down. She could sense something, something out of the ordinary. It was strong and powerful, its abilities clouded. She believed it could likely be the key. Harry drew close to her. His shoulder brushed against hers and he reached out as far as he could. A few more steps and they entered an enormous cavern, stretching out far and wide. Eve then saw it. The stone basin. The key. But between them and it lay a black lake.

"That's it!" Harry whispered.

"How do we get across?" Eve asked, looking around for anything that could get them from one side to another.

"I don't know," Harry answered. "We might have to swim. Can you sense any other living things?"

Eve closed her eyes and focused her mind, reaching out with her will but the only other energies she could sense were the ones of the Elves and wizards, nothing odd or unfamiliar.

Eve shook her head. "I can't sense anything. I think we might have to swim."

Harry stepped down towards the water, holding his glowing wand over the surface and saw, with great comfort and relief, that the water was actually clear and only appeared black because of the cave's darkness. He dipped his foot in cautiously. When he was sure it was all right, he placed it down and began wading through the water. Eve followed after him, all the time looking around to be sure they were safe.

"What do you think will be in there?" Eve asked as she broke into a swim.

"I have no idea of exactly what. All I know is that it will tell me how to defeat Voldemort," Harry said.

"I'll tell you how to defeat Voldemort," Eve said. "Kill him. That usually works."

Harry didn't answer her. He knew how Eve had been just like him; she would never take a life. But now, she talked about it like it meant nothing. That one battle had changed her. She learnt that although killing someone wasn't always pleasant, it sometimes had to be done whether she liked it or not.

By now they were half way across the lake. The weight of their clothes had started to take effect but they continued to push on. And it was because they had to focus on staying above the surface that they didn't notice the water cloud over with black. Something brushed past Eve's leg, causing her to jump.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"Something just went past my leg," Eve squeaked, treading water and looking around. "But there's nothing alive here… and when did the water turn black?"

Suddenly a hand grasped her ankle and yanked her below the surface.

It took less than a second for her instincts to kick in. Her body struggled wildly as it tried to pull away for air. Za'rocaella was useless under the water so she couldn't attack whatever it was that had her. Still struggling, Eve looked down to see what on earth could have pulled her under. It was a dead body. An alive dead, rotting body. It explained why she couldn't have sensed it.

Harry dove underwater immediately to help her. He managed to pry its bony fingers off her and swam as fast as he could back up to the surface. He sucked in a deep breath and dunked himself back down. Eve saw a flash of light under the water and Harry burst back up again.

"There are more of them," he gasped.

"Shit," Eve cursed. She put Za'rocaella away and drew her dagger; it would be far, far easier to fight with than a long sword.

With grace like a mermaid, she swam down again, slicing one of the bodies with her weapon. It sank to the lake floor. Eve forced herself to remain calm. Panicking and struggling would waste precious energy. The living dead bodies were coming at them from all directions. The twins were vastly outnumbered. Eve lashed out with her dagger again, swinging it around and striking several of the creatures at the same time. She saw Harry shoot a few spells before having to return to the surface for air; his air supply was much shorter than hers.

All at once, several of the bodies latched onto her, dragging her down. Now she did panic. Her body reacted without command, twisting and fighting against the many horrible hands that clung to her. Her arm lashed out with her dagger. It was no use though. There were just too many of them for her to fight. Luckily Harry was still there to come to her rescue. He aimed his spells carefully or he would hit Eve.

Thanks to Harry's aid, she was able to free herself from the clutches of the monsters and fight off the rest herself before swimming back up for air. "Harry!" she called. "We have to get to the other side."

The two of them fought their way to the other side, often having to help one another. The other side of the lake was so close now. Eve reached out as far as she could and managed to grasp hold of the lowest rock. Summoning all her strength, she pulled herself out and then helped Harry out too. Both were exhausted. The added weight of their drenched clothes didn't help. Eve stayed on her knees for a few moments, catching her breath. "I do not like this," she hissed. "And we're gonna have to swim to get back to the other side."

"We'll deal with that in a minute," Harry said as he began making his way towards the stone basin.

Eve heaved herself onto her feet and climbed after him. She could sense the power of the key but there was something not right about it.

"There's nothing here," Harry bit out. "Voldemort got here first."

"Would he have left those things in the water?" Eve asked.

"Maybe," Harry shrugged, not really caring about that.

Eve looked over the basin and silently cursed to herself. It was empty and looked entirely ordinary. The power was there but the key had been taken. "What are we going to do? Voldemort knows how to defeat you."

"Maybe there's a way we can find out what that is and then use it to our advantage," Harry suggested.

"That's good but we're treading on thin ice here," Eve said. "We need to find the others. We can use our soldiers to fight with you now." She was trying not to let her hopes and spirits fade however likely their defeat now was.

Harry edged back to the water, readying himself for another fight. The water began to ripple as he drew close. He held his wand ready while gathering his energy.

"Harry, wait," Eve called.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I might be able to create a way across," she said. "But I'll need a minute to get my energy back."

"And you didn't think of this before?" Harry grumbled.

"Well, no and before I thought we would have no need for a bridge," Eve defended.

"Okay, then make one now," Harry said.

Eve took in a few deep breaths and closed her eyes, grasping a hold over the Earth element. With it she managed to conjure rocks from nothing and they make a pathway of stepping stones across the lake. Her body shook with the effort, threatening to give out under her. Harry hurried over to her and took her arm to support her. Her body gradually stopped shaking and she slowly opened her eyes.

"Are you all right?" Harry asked.

Eve said nothing and nodded. A little giddy, she began to cross the stepping stones. The bodies swam frantically around the rocks, unnerving both the teenagers, placing their balance on the line. Eve swallowed a gulp as her legs tried to fight her advance to the next stone. She held her dagger tight in her hand, ready for a fight. Suddenly a few heads burst the surface. Eve screamed. The bodies tried to grasp hold of her and Harry's ankles, and they both had no choice but to hurry as fast as they could without slipping into the treacherous waters.

With a final leap, Eve made it to the safe side of the lake. She turned and held her hand out to Harry. He grasped it and she helped pull him up. They watched the dead bodies slowly disappear. The lake was still and clear once more. Eve shivered from the cold.

"We need to move, find the others," she bit out, walking quickly. She reached out with her mind, sending a summoning call to Chloe and Thiazzi.

As they moved back the way they came, the connection between the Elves' minds became stronger. It weakened for a second as Eve had to prevent herself from tripping. Another thing she would have to work on was being able to fully focus in both the mental world and the physical world at the same time.

_Eve,_ Chloe's eager voice called, _did you find it? What does Harry have to do?_

_It wasn't there. Voldemort got there first, _Eve sighed.

_Are you sure? _Thiazzi's voice nudged through her head.

_Yes, and we think he left behind living dead bodies for us, _Eve said.

_Damn, _Thiazzi cursed.

_It's all right, _Chloe said. _We now have soldiers to spare. They can help Harry._

_He's very stubborn about letting the Elves join this war, _Eve replied.

_Well he'll have to accept that this is your war too and because you are an Elf, Voldemort has already made a move of war against us through you,_ Chloe said.

_I'm with you, _Eve agreed. _Let us just get back to Rivermoor and we can talk this out with the wizards._

_Agreed._

_Agreed. _

It was agreed between the wizards and the Elves that Elven soldiers would be lent for Harry's aid, now that Voldemort knew what would bring his downfall. Not even Harry knew what would bring him down. He returned to the Ivymere that night with Sirius and the other three magic folk, completely unsure of what upcoming days would bring.

That night Harry had a dream.

In this dream, a chant was repeated over and over again: _An era of uncertainty, an era of power, an era of victory and defeat. An unpredictable sequence._

_An era of uncertainty, an era of power, an era of victory and defeat. An unpredictable sequence._

_An era of uncertainty, an era of power, an era of victory and defeat. An unpredictable sequence._

Then he heard it repeated in a language he could not understand, and then in a mixture of both tongues, swirling around his troubled sleep.

**Oooh what could Harry be hearing? Please review!**

**Love and hugs xxx**


	16. Chapter 16: Desire Darker than Black

**This chapter contains sex and other mature content as well as a very dark/dominant/possessive Vampire so be warned before you read. Please leave a review!**

That same night, Draco visited the Rider house. Chloe answered the door and welcomed the young Vampire inside. She told him that Eve was having a shower, but Draco wanted to quickly speak with her. The High General offered him a seat by the fire. Both their postures were upright and somewhat tense.

"I needed to tell you that I may quite possibly be taking Eve away to become my Mate. That is, if she ready and wishes to," Draco got straight to the point, catching Chloe a little by surprise. "I heard what happened in the cave today," he continued. "And I think now will be the best time for me to claim her fully before a war starts waging and she is needed."

It was all very sudden, but Chloe did see his point. "It is her choice, not mine."

"I know," Draco said. "I just wanted to let you know that I could possibly be taking her away for a while."

"Where will you go?" Chloe asked.

"A professor of mine has arranged a secluded accommodation for us far away from any civilization. It will be too dangerous around any other Humans. I'd kill anyone who came near her," he told her. "I should go and tell her." He got out of his chair and went straight upstairs, not waiting for Chloe's reply.

The High General was left a little emotionally winded. She might not see her beloved niece for two months. How would she explain her disappearance? She was left to her thoughts while Draco opened Eve's door to a jar only to find her room empty and hear the sound of running water coming from the bathroom next door.

Draco knocked gently on the bathroom door.

"Yeah?" Eve called from inside.

"It's me," Draco replied. "May I come in?"

"One second!"

The Vampire smiled to himself. She still didn't want him to see her whole body naked. If she became his Mate that night that would all change. If she became his Mate tonight, he would learn everything about her body; what she liked, what made her shiver, what made her scream, the taste of her, the feel of her. Everything.

A few moments later, Eve came out of the bathroom with her hair dripping wet, already combed, and a towel wrapped around her petite body. A lustful glint flickered in Draco's eyes. Eve glanced to the floor, her cheeks aflame with furious blushes.

"Evening, my beauty," Draco said softly. "I must ask something very serious of you."

"Sure," Eve nodded, a little nervous of what it was he was going to ask her.

"I want you to become my Mate. Tonight," Draco cut to the chase once again.

Eve felt like she'd been kicked in the head by a horse. Her mouth opened but no proper words could form, only sounds fell from her lips. Her mind suddenly raced. Become Draco's Mate tonight? It would change everything. Eve didn't even know if she was ready for it. Draco closed her mouth with his finger. "You're looking a bit like a goldfish, little one."

"Tonight?" she stuttered. "You want me tonight?"

"Yes, I want you tonight," Draco repeated.

"I don't know if I can do this," Eve stepped past him. She grabbed her clothes and rushed straight back into the bathroom. "I need a minute."

Draco waited patiently for her to dress herself, leaning against the door frame. He straightened himself up as the door opened again.

"What are people going to say when I'm not around for a couple of months?" she asked, now much calmer than before, though still not quite thinking straight.

"Your aunt can cover for us," Draco shrugged. He didn't really care. He just wanted her.

"People will ask questions."

"Well you've already told quite a few people," the Vampire hissed.

"Don't bring that back up," Eve groaned. "Please. I'll need a bit of time to pack some things if I'm not gonna be around for a while."

"Be quick," he ordered. "I don't want to waste any more time."

Eve nodded and grabbed a bag from under her bed and threw it carelessly onto the bed. She gathered some clothes and other accessories she would need, things like her hair brush and some make up. Out of habit she also tossed her dagger in and then fastened the bag. "I'll need to say goodbye to my aunt," she said, swinging the bag over her shoulder.

Eve moved towards the door but suddenly Draco caught her arm in a grip of iron. "Are you sure you want this?" he asked. "I don't want to claim you when you aren't ready. You'll resent me for it later."

"I think so," she replied.

Draco wasn't convinced. He pulled her to his body, looking intently down at her. Eve bit her lip, nervous under his gaze, and kept her eye line below his. Tilting her chin up further with a finger, Draco brought her emerald orbs to meet his and, leaning down, he ghosted the tip of his nose against her forehead.

"You're not thinking straight," he said. "Calm down and decide carefully."

Eve took a deep breath and looked away. She calmed herself, clearing her mind of fog and blindness. Her way of helping herself deciding something was to weigh out the pros and cons. If she became his Mate tonight, his incredibly possessive phase would be over sooner and she could return sooner to help Harry; she did want to be his Mate. On the other hand, she wasn't fully sure she wanted to be his Mate right then. And what if Harry needed her while she was gone and Draco wouldn't let her go? It could cost him everything, the fall of the Wizarding world. Would it be safer to put the whole thing off until the Wizarding war was over? But then it could go on for years and if she was Draco's Mate he'd be able to protect her.

"I think we should," she said softly.

Her insides shivered as Draco's pupils dilated, sparking with lust and want. Opposing the look in his eyes, his mouth turned upwards in a smile and he ran a hand along her hair lovingly. Eve relaxed as he smiled but she could not help be afraid of what was to come later that night, and the next few weeks.

"If we're going to go, we should go now," Draco said. The two of them went downstairs and found Chloe still sitting in the armchair by the fire, her cat-like eyes fixed on the slowly dying embers.

"Chloe," Eve whispered. "I'm going to be going tonight."

Chloe turned her head sadly. Inside she was fighting her flood of emotions; normally she could control them, summon them and discard them if she needed to. But now, she couldn't stop the walls of her heart collapsing. Chloe got to her feet and approached the two teenagers with rather slow strides. Eve felt a pang in her heart herself. She was upset too about leaving her aunt, especially when she was used to her presence every single day.

Chloe wrapped her arms around Eve's petite frame in a tight embrace, which the girl returned just as eagerly. Eve squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her cheek against Chloe's shoulder.

_Please be careful,_ the High General whispered through her thoughts.

_I will, _Eve silently promised.

Chloe pulled out of her niece's arms, her sad eyes filled with affection. "Go now. I'll cover for you while you're gone. Go."

Eve swallowed an uprising of tears. Draco nodded kindly to Chloe before leading Eve out into the warm spring night. He took her bag for her and slung it over his left shoulder. "Do not be sad, my butterfly. You will see your aunt again," he said as he cupped her face in his large hand. "Now all you need to worry about is making sure you don't get me angry and be a good girl for me."

Eve nodded and suddenly Draco lifted her over his other shoulder. She clung to him in a childlike manner, the soft pads of her fingers unable to grip anything properly on his stone hard, smooth back. Draco allowed her to shuffle into a more comfortable position so she wasn't dangling over his shoulder and was more face to face to him. Eve buried her face in the crook of Draco's neck, closing her eyes as he ran with blinding speed to a place unknown.

The second Draco came to a halt, Eve opened her eyes and saw a small cottage before them. Although it looked kind of cosy, there was a sinister aura about it, like there was something frightening inside. Eve didn't like it. Draco noticed. "There's nothing to be frightened of, little one. I will protect you from anything."

He lowered the girl to her feet, taking in the change in her behaviour; she was moulding into the frightened little fawn that belonged to the big scary Vampire. Draco was very glad for it. If she stayed like that, the better chance she had of being happy in the next two months, and safe from him, his brutal possessiveness, his terrifying rage. He took her hand and led her inside. Lights turned on the second they stepped through the door, making it less scary to Eve's wicked eyes. Come to think of it, the house looked much more friendly with the absence of darkness.

"Um, Draco?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Are you going to do it tonight, or tomorrow?" Eve asked. She felt rather tired and didn't feel up for much. "Because I'm really tired."

"Then we can do it tomorrow," Draco said. "You will need all your energy. Come on."

She followed him up the stairs while taking in her new surroundings. He held the door open for her and shut it after him, flicking on the light. The room was very much like Draco's room at the lodge, dark wood with green furniture. Draco placed her bag by the side of the bed and sauntered over to her. He stood behind her, his body ghosting hers. Eve supressed a shiver and her body leant back into his.

"Shall we have some fun tonight?" he purred, crouching to brush kisses along the back of her neck.

"I think we should save it for tomorrow," Eve teased.

"Oh, all right," Draco sighed playfully and drew himself to his magnificent full height.

Eve couldn't be bothered to get changed. She'd be naked the next day so she didn't really care. She slipped off her boots and climbed into the bed, and watched as Draco removed all his clothes aside from his trousers. He was so beautiful. Her emerald eyes were mainly fixed on the muscles of his torso, looking at the way they flexed and rippled with his movements. Draco then began removing his trousers. Eve's eyes widened slightly, her body automatically curled up. She gulped at the sight of the prominent bulge through his underwear and looked away bashfully.

Draco threw the covers over so he could settle next to her. He gathered the Elf in his arms before pulling the quilt over them both. Eve could feeling his straining member against her leg as he pressed her to him. She lay her palms flat on his chest, her cheek nuzzled into his shoulder. She felt a small rumble within him and he started to move her further up the bed so his lips were level with her forehead.

"What are you doing?" Eve whispered, dumbstruck at the odd behaviour.

"Allowing you a little more power before it is all taken away," Draco answered softly. "There are some things you must understand, my beauty. Remember how possessive and dominating I was when I transformed?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"It'll be like that but only more exaggerated. My gentler side will be almost banished for a little while, that is why we cannot be around other people. I'd kill them for even looking at what is mine. You must promise me you will be good, careful and you must think about what you do. Although my intention will never be to kill you, I still could very easily. Promise me, Eve," he said.

"I promise," she swore.

"Good girl," Draco kissed her cheek and grinned when he earned a tiny giggle.

Eve rolled slightly, pulling herself even further up so she could look Draco in the eyes. A shiver caressed her body as his top lip trembled in a soft snarl and his hands on her tightened but she didn't lower herself.

"Do that this time tomorrow and you'll probably have a couple of crushed bones," he informed her.

"How?" Eve was curious to know.

"My hands would grip you too tight or my weight might do it when I throw you beneath me," he said, stroking her hair at the same time. "Be aware that I will punish you if you do anything I don't like. I won't lie, it'll be a rough few weeks, unless you can be good all that time which I highly doubt," he winked slyly.

"Thanks," Eve replied sarcastically but with a smile.

There was a minute of silence between them. Eve took that time to examine her Dominant's face, taking in all his masculine beauty, everything about him, and at the same time, he studied her in the same way. With a delicate hand, Eve ran her fingers down the side of his smooth, pale face. Purring with delight, Draco's eyes closed and he pressed his cheek into the gentle touch of her tiny hand.

"Would it be all right if I bit you tonight and took you tomorrow?" he asked, his voice deep and husky.

"Will it hurt?" Eve asked quietly.

"As much as any other bite," he reassured her, now his eyes were open. "Will you let me?"

Eve nodded, in full knowledge she had sealed her own fate. She was to be Draco's now, now and forever more. She grew nervous as his strong arms bound her tightly to him and lowered her down a bit. The smallest of whimpers escaped her lips as his mouth grazed her neck. Eve tilted her head back to give him better access to her. Her body began to shake at the touch of his fang to her fragile skin. Draco inhaled one deep breath filled with her delicious scent and bit into her vulnerable throat.

Usually, a bite would override Eve's senses, allowing her to give into her body's desires but this bite did no such thing. She kept full control over her will, fully conscious and aware to know what she was about to endure. Draco drank first, the hot and sweet liquid gushing down his throat, the taste getting better and better with every mouthful. Moans vibrated off his lips into the skin of Eve's neck. Then, Draco ceased suckling at her throat and the venom that would bind them forever leaked from the tips of his fangs and into her blood.

Eve felt something she'd never felt before. She felt _him._ Everything of him, his mind, his power, his emotions. They surrounded her, rising up over her like a huge tidal wave and all she could do was stare up in fear and beg she was not to be hurt. Magic pulsed through her veins from her neck to her toes. Her heart clenched like it was being chained up, those chains belonging to her Master. They were linked together. The same mind and being spread between two different bodies.

The connection suddenly started to fade and Eve felt herself grow weaker and weaker. Her eyes fluttered close and she lost all sense of consciousness. Draco withdrew his fangs, the same magic buzzing throughout his whole body. His face was no longer soft and relaxed but harsh and possessive. His eyes glowed frightfully, which would be enough to scare anyone out of their wits if they came face to face with that gaze. His stance had changed too; he was slightly hunched over the girl he held and positioned ready to pounce on any threat. With those eyes, Draco looked upon the unconscious Elf below him, his head tilted slightly to the side like an animal trying to work something out.

He moved her body much further down so her face was level with his upper stomach, just below his pectorals and leaned protectively over her. She was all his now, his and no one else's, and he could do whatever he liked with her. A flick of his finger could decide if she lived or died. Her body, her soul and her heart belonged to him. It would be so forever. Draco stroked her silky hair with his index finger until he slipped into a light sleep. Being a Vampire meant that sleep wasn't often necessary but he could if he wanted to.

Eve awoke to darkness the next morning. The curtains had been closed to stop the sunlight getting in and there was no way of telling the time. Her nose brushed against what felt like skin. Her eyes opened a little more, revealing that she was face to… stomach with Draco. She stirred purposefully to let him know she was awake. Draco had been awake for about an hour though and his eyes had been fixed on her since she first opened her eyes.

"Morning," he growled in a very deep voice. Eve flinched. Was she in trouble already? Her lips pressed together and she made herself still, her heart having seized in fear.

"Master," she whispered, as if compulsory.

"Evelina," Draco answered and then paused. "Do you want anything before we begin?"

"Can I have five minutes?" she innocently requested.

Draco said nothing but unwrapped his arms from around her and sat up. Not fully sure of how to behave, in case the slightest thing wrong would trigger her Master's anger, Eve slowly got out of the bed and went to collect her bag, whilst keeping her head low in a submissive posture. Bag in hand, she went into the bathroom next door and locked the door behind her. She used to loo and washed quickly. Rummaging through her bag, she pulled out her hair brush and brushed her messy bed hair until there was not a single knot left. Eve then added a little make-up to her face, some waterproof eyeliner, a few strokes of mascara and a little rosy lipstick. She put all her things back into the bag and faced herself in the mirror.

It was a bit of a hit to her knowing she was about to lose her virginity to the man next door. She had heard that it hurt, and that was with Humans. It would probably be worse with a Vampire. They were so much stronger, more brutal. On top of that, Draco was extremely strong and also very big. If he wanted it rough, she didn't have much chance of coming away unharmed, or even alive. Eve sighed. She knew there was no getting out of it. She had accepted the bite and now the ritual had to be completed. But she couldn't make herself move, her legs were glued to the floor.

_My legs always seem to die at the wrong moment,_ she sighed to herself.

After a few deep breaths, her legs rediscovered movement and she moved towards the door, giddy as a newborn foal. With one last deep breath she unlocked the door and stepped out into the bedroom. She was sure to keep her eyes to the floor but she could still see that Draco was standing only a few metres away from her, only clad in his underwear. Her eyes flickered a couple of times to the huge bulge beneath. She wasn't even sure if he would fit inside her.

Draco walked slowly towards her and stopped when his throbbing length almost touched her stomach. Eve noticed his right hand was hidden behind his back, out of her sight. The Vampire bent down and whispered, "Turn your back and undress."

Eve immediately did as she was told, puzzled as she heard Draco walked away from her again. Her clothes made a small pile beside her feet. Her fingers were trembling by the time she had gotten to ridding herself of her bra. Involuntarily, her body gave a little flinch as the strap clicked open, exposing her small, perky breasts. Last of all were her panties. In one motion she pulled them down of her hips and let them fall to the floor around her ankles. She stepped out of them and nudged the side along with the rest of her clothes. Eve pulled her hair forward to cover her breasts and waited for her next order.

"Turn around," Draco said softly.

Eve turned shyly; Draco had never seen her completely naked. And then she saw that he too was naked in all his glory. Blushing rose red, Eve averted her eyes from his groin. From that second long glance, she had seen its sheer size. She knew it would really hurt when he penetrated her. Draco eyed every inch of her hungrily without shame or modesty. "Lean against the bed post facing me," his instruction came out as a husky growl.

Eve obeyed his order, with no idea of what he was planning to do. She blinked once and he was right in front of her, thin rope in his hand. So that was what he had been hiding behind his back. The Elf gulped, supressing a whimper as he tied the rope around her, just below her bust, and around the bed post, rendering her helpless. Draco then took hold of her wrists and pulled them behind her back, leaving them unbound, but the order was clear. With wide eyes, Eve looked up slightly, her eyes meeting his for a second.

"It will make it easier for me to enter you. You're going to be very, _very _tight, little one, since you've never had anything enter you before," Draco said. "I might be kind and give you a little warm up. Now, spread those little legs for me."

Swallowing, Eve spread her legs, supported by the rope. Draco knelt down on one knee and suddenly thrust his middle finger into her. A cry left the girl's lips. Her body tried to struggle to rid herself of the pain his large, uncaring finger was causing her but the rope held her still. Draco kept his hand still, giving her the few moments she needed for her body to adjust to him. She was so tight, tighter than he originally thought. He could feel her inner muscles clenching around his long finger and imagined how much better it would feel around his cock.

Slowly he began to thrust slowly in and out of her, making her wetter with each insertion. "That's it baby girl," he purred into her ear, sending shivers all up and down her spine.

The pain had mostly gone having been replaced by pleasure Eve had never experienced before. She pushed her hips towards him begging for more. His finger seemed to fill all the space her body would allow but still she wanted more. Her head drooped back against the bed posted, her lips parted in the inferno of pleasure she felt. A whine left her lips as Draco slipped out as quickly as he'd entered.

"Have you ever done this before?" Eve panted.

"Mmm hmm," Draco answered casually.

"Alec?" she widened her eyes in shock.

"No," he growled. "A girl in my late fourth year. It was just a one night thing. Now, hush and let Master do his work."

Hands, large and strong, gripped her thighs as he positioned the head of his manhood at her moist entrance. Draco paused for a second. Should he lower her inch by inch or do it in one fluid motion? But firstly, he took her arms and wrapped them around his neck. "Hold on as hard as you want if it helps with the pain," he said.

Eve nodded and gripped him tightly. She hated not knowing when the pain was going to start. Draco counted from three in his head and then thrust himself deep inside her, as far as her tiny body would physically allow him. Clutching as hard as she could to Draco's shoulders, a loud, high pitched scream tore from Eve's mouth. It was like she was being torn apart. He was so long and thick. Her body struggled against the rope that bound her but it was useless.

"Yes," Draco groaned out deeply, his eyes closed. Finally, he was inside her, a part of her. "Oh, fuck yes."

As he drew himself up to his enormous height, the rope dug painfully into Eve's skin. "Master, please, the rope!" she screamed out.

Draco ripped the rope away from her and tossed it to the floor now it was no longer needed. Tears spilled from Eve's eyes. She hugged Draco as tight as she could, trying to find a way to stop the agonizing pain inside her. It hurt so much. He gave her one thrust and was rewarded with another scream. And he loved it. He thrust again, earning the same beautiful siren sound. "That's it, little girl, scream for me," he urged her.

"Draco, please it hurts," Eve cried. If he could just wait for her body to adjust to his large size, that's all she wanted.

But Draco was too lost in his lust to stop his currently slow strokes. He didn't care that her screams were ones of pain, not pleasure, not yet at least. "Master, please stop!" his Mate begged him.

Having grown tired of her resistance, Draco moved them down onto the bed in the blink of an eye, his weight crushing her into the mattress. Their size difference meant that she could only reach his chest while he was inside her. Eve dug her nails into his diamond skin, her body twisting and clenching around his member. Draco threw his head back with a deep grunt. She felt so tight and so good. His hips rocked into hers, slowly at first. The screams of the Elf started to get quieter and quieter until they were only whimpers of pain. The raw burning inside of her was dying as her body began to adjust to the large member inside her.

A deep rumble passed through Draco as the first sound of her pleasure was heard. He started putting a little more force into his thrusts. His chest swelled when her moans grew louder and louder. They were an even more beautiful sound than her screams of pain. "You like that?" Draco growled huskily.

"Uh huh," Eve replied, her breathing heavy. Her hips made a little buck towards her Master. She wanted more. She _needed _more. "Master, please."

"What?" he purred softly, running his hand through her hair.

"I need you," the girl whimpered. Her heavy breaths covered his chest in warm air. "Please, I… I need more of you."

A feral smile crossed Draco's lips. He loved having this control over her, being able to reduce her to this, begging him for more. "Do you now?" he cruelly teased her. "Are you going to beg me like little girls should their Masters?" He gave a single thrust to emphasise his words.

"Master, I need you… please, I beg you," she whimpered beautifully, her thoughts spinning with blind ecstasy.

How could he refuse her when she asked so nicely?

With a low chuckle, Draco pushed himself as far into her as he could go, more power and strength in each stroke. It was easier now, she was so wet and it allowed him to move more freely in and out of her. He was not gentle; his hips bruised hers and he crushed everything he wished to conquer, unstoppable. Eve's eyes rolled back in her head. Her back made an attempt to arch but Draco's body prevented her from doing so. Her voice was clear as a bell as her moans became louder until they were screams of delight and lust. The bed rocked with the force of Draco's god-like body, only just able to support his strength. A light sheen of perspiration had settled on Eve's skin, her body trembled with the effort of trying to support herself against her Dominant's body.

She was close to her limit, she could feel it. It was coming, it was so close. Her inner walls trembled as she found her release, her neck arched as the loudest moans she could muster spilled from her lips. Tiny hands gripped fistfuls of blond hair, tugging on the roots to cope with the pool of ecstasy she was drowning in. Draco too wasn't far from his climax. Just one more thrust and…

The Vampire threw his head back with a guttural grunt as he filled her with his essence, some spilling down the insides of Eve's thighs. "I'll get pregnant," she gasped, her voice weak from effort.

"No," Draco bit out. "Severus gave me a contraception potion which I gave to you while you were asleep."

Able to relax again, Eve felt her insides squirm at the new feeling of her Master's white hot seed inside her. Chest heaving, her body grew weak as all the strength was drained from her as she reached her second orgasm, and she fell limp against the mattress. Draco collapsed on top of her, not enough to crush her, his face buried in the pillow, still inside her. Eve kissed his chest sweetly and breathed in his gorgeous, intoxicating scent.

It had been done. The ritual was fully complete.

**So how was that? Draco's finally claimed Eve, yay! **

**Love and hugs xxx**


	17. Chapter 17: Vampyre Erotica

**Hello lovelies, I'm so sorry that I've not been updating. I've had a lot of other things going on and my inspiration for this particular story has been fading, I admit but I hope to keep going, however fast or slow.**

**This chapter contains mature content.**

**And as usual, I only own my own creations, nothing of J.K Rowling.**

Draco knew he had to be very careful with his Mate after he had taken her. Her little body was marred with purple bruises, mostly around her hips. She was still very good though, very quiet and submissive, and that pleased Draco because he would have no reason to punish her and damage her body even more. He had picked her up from the bed, carried her into the bathroom and, holding her in one hand, turned on the taps to the large bath that could easily fit in four men Draco's size.

He lowered Eve in first, very gently so as not to cause her any pain, and then climbed in. He sat at the other end of the tub, his long arms spread around the rim and his broad shoulders spread wide. Eve kept her body still, her eyes averted from his. It was her hips which hurt the most. Draco had not felt gentle. Though she knew he was keeping much of his strength at bay.

The tub filled quickly. The warmth helped numb any pain in Eve's body. Her eyes flickered to Draco's. She was reassured to see him with a slight grin on his face. He then reached forward and pulled her towards him. Eve couldn't contain her whimper of pain as her back was pressed against his chest. His body loomed over hers like a shadow.

"Draco?" Eve whispered, her body slumped against his hard chest.

"Yes, little one?" he answered.

"Will it be like this every time?"

"I do not know," he said. "I do not know my limits. I will try to be a little more gentle the next time I fuck you. You'll still be extremely fragile after the first."

The girl nodded. "Thank you." She pressed her cheek into his chest.

Draco's hands moved upwards to cup her breasts. He began to knead them with his fingers, occasionally brushing the rosy peaks with his thumbs. Head lolling back against Draco's chest, Eve gave into the pleasure and let herself release a satisfying moan. One of his hands left her breast and descended further down to her legs. His fingers rubbed against Eve's entrance, teasing her with his intoxicating touch.

"Master, please," she begged, lust pulsing through her veins like a drug. She was not as sore as she would have expected.

Draco chuckled darkly. "What a tiny helpless thing you are. It's both arousing and almost amusing to see you begging for me."

With that, he pushed two fingers into her wet cavern. Involuntarily Eve's hips bucked, trying to push him in deeper.

"Because all you can do is beg," Draco growled deeply into her ear, making her shiver with fear and arousal. "I will take you, I will crush you, I will break you, I will have you and own you. My body will hurt you and you will love me. You will kiss me and reach out for me. I will break you tiny body and blacken your innocent soul. All the while you will scream and beg for my mercy and love."

Eve's body reacted before she could even think. Desperately scrambling to get away from the monster, Eve ignored the pain that ignited in her as she cried and lashed out, almost screaming. Water splashed everywhere. In a flash, Draco locked his thick arms around her and slammed her into his rock hard chest, pressing her face into his pectoral muscles.

"Now, now, little one, not so fast," he purred, stroking her wet hair. Eve flinched at the touch with a whimper, a tear slipping from her eye. "That's only one side of me. You know my other side, my butterfly. When I will hold you, protect you, and love you. When my touch is tender and gentle. You just won't be seeing that side as much," the Vampire let out a dark, sinister chuckle. "Oh, you are so beautiful when you are terrified, my little butterfly."

Draco turned her body over so Eve was lying on her stomach on top of his torso. She could feel his fully erect member against her groin. Large hands trailed down her waist until they reached her hips. In a grip of iron, Draco lifted her hips up, placing her over the tip of his throbbing cock. Inch by inch he lowered her down into it, inwardly glad that she only made a wince of pain. Her passage was still quite stretched from earlier in the day.

"Ride me," Draco's eyes sparkled with dominance and lust.

With his hands still on her hips, he began to guide her body up and down his shaft. Eve's own hands gripped his wide shoulders to make the movements easier for herself. She couldn't help but wince at the hold Draco had on her delicate hips.

Groaning in pleasure, Draco thrust his hips upwards, the action effortless to him. He held Eve in place so she'd have to endure the full force. A whimper left her lips and he noticed how her hands on his shoulders tightened.

"Oh, what's wrong?" he cooed mockingly. "Can the little girl not handle her master's cock? Poor thing."

In response, Eve gave as hard a thrust as she could. Draco threw his head back with a growling moan. His ears picked up the quiet moan that she emitted also.

"That's more like it," the Vampire growled in approval.

Summoning her strength, Eve pushed herself as hard as her body would allow. And then again, and again, and again. The pain in her hips, inside and out, was starting to become unbearable. Her stamina was waning fast as well. She slowed before she broke. "Master," she panted like a dog. "Master, please, I… I can't… I can't… Please. I'm not strong enough." She begged he wouldn't be angry and punish her. Her untameable fear of him and of pain brought tears to her eyes. She shivered as one of his hands moved up to her back.

"Please, please, please," she found herself whispering over and over. Everything became too much for her and she passed out.

Still in darkness, Eve felt something warm and hard surrounding her. She was no longer in the water but on the soft mattress of the bed. Her eyes fluttered open. Curled around her in a protective ball was her master, he loomed over her terrifyingly, his piercing eyes fixed on her. Eve felt weak, drained. Her gaze remained on Draco's chest, her heart already beginning to pound.

Now that she was awake, Draco rolled carefully on top of her, still naked, just as she was. Below him, he heard his butterfly release a whimper. The Vampire let out a content purr. This was how it should be. She was such a good little girl for him. It was better for her too; she'd be safer that way until he calmed down. Leaning down, Draco growled huskily into her sharp ear. "It's time for your punishment." She was such a good little girl – except for that.

Eve was now confused as well as terrified. A punishment surely meant a biting, a crushing, a brutal fucking, something she couldn't take so soon. What had she done? How had she disobeyed him? She couldn't think of what it was.

"What have I done?" she asked in barely a whisper.

Humming, Draco lowered himself to kiss her. When she didn't respond, he let out a petrifying growl. He kissed her again and this time she did respond. It was just a quick kiss, but slow and tender. Eve wrapped her arms lightly around Draco's neck. The only thing she could do was attempt to please him, no matter what the cost.

"Don't you remember, little one? When you tried to flee from me in the bathtub?" he snarled into her face.

Eve closed her eyes, the memory flooding back to her. She hadn't been able to control herself; it had just been a natural reaction to flee from danger.

"I couldn't help it," she protested. "I didn't mean to. You know I wouldn't disobey you." She offered her neck, begging to be forgiven. Surely he wouldn't punish her for being afraid?

Eve felt Draco's soft breath on her cheek. Vampires didn't need to breathe but some chose to continue the habit. Inside, Draco was torn. He was fighting between his humanity and love for the little Elf beneath him, and his Vampiric brutality and newly strengthened dominance and possessiveness. He had warned her before he changed that it was going to be a rough period of time for her but once he'd settled, he'd have the capability to be gentler and kinder to her. If this had happened a few days ago, Draco would have held her and comforted her for being afraid. Now though, he couldn't control it. The dark side of him had control.

"Please, I was frightened," Eve whispered. "I'm still frightened."

"Get used to it," the Vampire hissed. With lightning speed, he scratched her chest with a finger nail, leaving a fine, long trail of red which began to bleed.

Eve's fingers curled around his neck as a way of coping with the stinging pain. Her blood was warm against her own skin, flowing freely from the fine line of torn skin. Draco dragged his bloody nail down her chest again, leaving an identical cut next to the first one. The Elf's body writhed but she refused to make a noise. Blood was staining the sheets of the bed as it trickled down Eve's sides.

Draco only gave her those two scratches, which he then licked clean. The pain disappeared with the blood. Draco licked all the red off her trembling body, leaving the occasional kiss. "That's a good girl," he purred.

He rolled off her and waited for her to calm down from her little panic attack. She curled into a ball, her back to him. Laying a large, heavy hand on her arm, Draco pulled her onto her back.

"Don't try and flee, little one," he ran the side of his finger down her cheek. "You need food and then rest. Come."

Still stark naked, Draco got to his feet and held his hand put for the girl to take. Knowing there'd be no point in trying to hide her body, Eve took a deep breath and placed her hand in her master's. He helped her up and down into the kitchen of the house.

Eve grasped her chilly arms. She wished for clothes, mostly because she was cold, not Draco. Meanwhile the Vampire looked around the kitchen, seeming almost a little lost. It was rather sweet actually.

"So what is it that you eat?" he asked.

"Um, food. The same thing you used to eat," Eve said with light sarcasm.

Draco turned to her with a hint of a feral grin. "Hmm, well now I eat you, don't I?" he winked at her. Eve was feeling better already. She felt much calmer now he was in a good mood. She remembered his mood swings. Hopefully he'd stay in a good mood for a long while.

She gave a shy smile and a breath of soft laughter. "Um, can I see?"

"Be my guest," Draco said pleasantly, gesturing with his hand.

Eve moved past him and opened one of the cupboards, surprised to find a lot of food in there. But there was nothing that she fancied eating. She closed the cupboard and looked around for anything else. There was a toaster, like the one she had at home, and a loaf of bread and a butter dish next to it. There was a bowl of eggs, a bowl of fruit and a smaller bowl of ripe cherry tomatoes. Toast was the only thing that appealed to her so she put two slices of bread into the toaster and checked there was actually butter in the butter dish.

Eve turned around to see Draco leaning sexily against the wall, muscular arms crossed over a muscular chest. She couldn't help but notice that his member was fully erect and stifled a nervous gulp. Draco cocked his head to the side. "Is that all you're having?"

"There's nothing else I fancy," Eve shrugged, searching for a glass.

Once she found one, she held it under the tap and twisted the handle. She washed the glass out once before downing the water in four gulps, and tipped the remaining water down the sink. Draco watched with mild fascination as she prepared her little snack, getting a plate and a butter knife, and then picking a couple of red cherry tomatoes from the bowl.

"Do you always eat so little?" Draco asked.

"No. I just don't feel that hungry," the girl answered. "What about you? Are you hungry?"

"I can wait until tomorrow," the Vampire shrugged.

He remained silent as she buttered her toast, looking around the cottage properly for the first time. It was not a bad place Severus had found them. It was secluded and hidden; no one should find them there. Draco's ears picked up the noise of the butter knife being put down and with Vampiric speed, he sat himself in one of the chairs around the gleaming wooden table. When Eve turned, her grip on the plate tightened to stop it slipping from her fingers. Raising his hand seductively, Draco beckoned her silently with his finger. As if under some kind of enchantment, she walked towards him and placed the plate down in front of him.

Draco reached out and placed Eve on his lap, her shoulder snuggled tightly against his chest. She almost forgot about her food, she felt so warm and comforted that she could have fallen asleep right there. Draco picked up one of the two slices of toast and held it to her mouth. Opening her eyes and mouth, Eve took a big bite, the butter flooding between her gums as she sunk her human teeth into the crunchy bread. Draco chuckled as she took another bite. "You are quite an adorable little thing, aren't you?"

"I guess," Eve replied quietly with a smile.

Draco hummed and placed a kiss on her forehead. She ate the rest of her food from Draco's hand, which he seemed to enjoy and, as he'd said, found adorable. When she was finished, Draco let her up off his lap and watched as she washed up her plate, dried it and put it back where she'd found it. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle, his erection pressed between them. He felt Eve shudder against him.

"It's time for you rest now, my beauty," he murmured.

Eve nodded and Draco picked her up. He carried her to the sofa and laid her down there, and then laid himself down next to her, slightly crushing her between the sofa and his body. Eve rest her head on the relaxed muscle of his bicep, feeling his enormous form loom over her like a mountain. Almost straight away, Eve slipped into sleep. Her head was filled with dreams and nightmares, so many that they threatened to leak out of her mind.

In her dreams, she saw Harry running through chaos and carnage and she saw Voldemort. Although she had never met Voldemort, not since she was a baby, and had never actually seen him, she knew it was him. She then saw herself, running after her brother, Za'rocaella in her hand.

They were covered in dirt and blood, their clothes torn in random places. They were running for their lives, running from Lord Voldemort. A jet of green light shot past Eve's face, missing her by a few millimetres. Where they were was unrecognisable; everything was in ruins. There were lifeless bodies scattered everywhere. Eve turned her head and saw Harry's friends, Ron and Hermione and other wizards she had seen before. She turned her head the other way and saw her own friends and fellow Elves. She then glanced down at her arms.

Marring her skin were two words: Mudblood and Bloodtraitor. Some were nearly invisible, others stood out like black against white on her flesh. Someone had given her those and she knew who.

So this was what was to come.

This was her future.

Eve jerked awake with a cry, her body twisting where it lay. She clung to Draco, finding herself sobbing. Murmuring sweet nothings into her ear, Draco ran large hands up and down her naked skin, telling her that it was just a dream and nothing could hurt her there. "Hush now, my butterfly."

Still dazed, Eve dug her nails into his skin, emphasizing her need to be held and comforted by him. She whimpered softly. "It's-It's him… It's him."

"Who?" Draco growled, possessiveness sparking at the mention of another male.

Eve swallowed before answering. "Voldemort. E-Everything was destroyed."

"Quiet now," Draco said, softening. "The Dark Lord is not here. He cannot hurt you."

Eve looked down at her arms, finding them to be completely smooth, no words carved in her like wood. She couldn't remember who had done that to her anymore.

"It was only a dream, my beauty," Draco said, as he laid his heavily muscled leg over her. "Nothing is going to harm you."

"It was the future," she murmured into his chest. "It's going to happen."

"You don't need to worry about the future right now, my butterfly. You should only be worried about the now," he advised.

Eve nodded, knowing there'd be no point in arguing with him as she would surely loose, if not angering him in the process. But still, as she lay there, Eve could not stop thinking about what she had seen. Her eyes closed, the images replaying in her mind. It haunted her.

"Now that you're awake," Draco purred, "I would like to play with you, my little beauty."

Eve nodded again, thinking if he was in a good mood, she would receive much pleasure herself. Draco's hands constricted around her, and in response, her body shivered and arched helplessly into him while her neck tipped back. With ease and grace, the Vampire slowly, teasingly moved himself over her, both barely touching and rubbing his bare skin against hers at the same time. Eve's body arched further, begging for his touch and her very core ached with need to be filled.

Her lips parted in a soft moan as Draco rubbed himself against her, very slowly at first, as his aim was to push her to her very limit; he would have her begging for him, crying with need. His member was hard and pulsing, ready to delve into her hot, tight, wet cavern and spill his essence into her. Draco carefully lowered himself down her body, leaving his face in her neck, and as he felt her shiver, a low growl rumbled through his chest. His ears picked up a nervous whimper. In his crouch over her, Draco let himself grin darkly before pressing a seductive, soft kiss to her pulse. "You like that, baby girl?" he whispered huskily, so deeply.

Eve couldn't answer. Whether it was because of pleasure or fear, or both, she didn't know. She just couldn't find the will to utter words. He slowly traced his hot, wet kisses down her fragile neck, then her collar, and then her naked chest. His cool breath sent shivers up and down Eve's spine and her hairs stand on end. Her stomach automatically sucked in, as a shuddering sigh left her. Draco latched onto her left peak and sucked gently, though not without a burning hunger, crackling in flames, and Eve's hands tugged on his ruffled locks of silvery blond hair, holding him to her breast.

Wrapping his enormous hands around her lower back, Draco pulled himself up and Eve with him, still suckling her, and occasionally letting his fang graze the bud in his mouth. One of his legs was tucked beneath him while the other had slid off the front of the sofa and was planted firmly on the floor. Eve knelt in his lap. She could feel his erection prodding at her pelvis, and she tried to position herself above it but Draco's hold would not allow her to move. He pulled away from her left nipple, leaving it red, and moved to her right, while he rubbed her body against him. Eve could feel her left breast pressing up against the side of his neck and she aided her own movements.

"Beautiful," Draco murmured into her. "And all mine."

"Y-Yes, Master," Eve whispered shakily.

"Would you like me to fuck you, my little butterfly?" he growled, softly biting down on the flesh of her breast, not enough to draw blood.

Eve inhaled sharply, her body stiff from the stinging nip. "Yes," she breathed; and then nodded as if to assure herself of what she wanted. "Yes."

Draco slid into her wetness with a low groan. He pressed the little Elf into his firm body and watched with an avid gaze as her eyes rolled back in her head. He laid her back down onto the sofa on her back and listened to the beautiful moans she elicited. "Hmmm, I'm not too much for my baby girl, am I?" Draco teased with a fanged grin.

"Not yet," she managed to gasp out.

Draco chuckled, and thrust his powerful hips in and out of his Mate, reducing her to screaming within moments. He soon found that the sofa was not doing them justice. Without effort but with amazing speed, Draco lifted them both from the sofa and shoved the human into the nearest wall, most likely bruising her fragile back in the process.

But then he stopped.

Eve had barely recovered from being thrown from one side of the room to the other, she looked at her master through hooded eyelids, shaking herself from her state of bliss. "Wha-What is it?" she panted.

Draco was on full alert, tense and on edge, his bloodthirsty eyes on the window. He sniffed and a low growl rumbled deep in his chest, a growl so frightening that Eve was terrified there and then, praying she had not done something wrong.

"Another Vampire," he snarled.

**Please review, especially if you would like more :)**

**Love and hugs xxx**


	18. Chapter 18: Truth be Told

**Warning: Contains mature content.**

**Enjoy!**

Eve froze.

Her heart skipped a beat and her chest tightened painfully. She clung to Draco as hard as she could, although knowing he could and would protect her, feeling almost as frightened as she had of him. Her inner walls clenched around him. He had to supress a groan of how good it felt but as much as he wanted to stay in her, he couldn't. This was too dangerous.

Draco lifted Eve off his shaft and flung her body over his shoulder. He had to protect her. She was his Mate, all his. He would not allow anything to hurt her. With his Vampiric speed, Draco took her up to their room and laid her on the bed before rushing to the window, his eyes scanning every inch of his surroundings. He could not see the Vampire but he could smell and sense them. They were far too near for his liking, especially around his Mate.

Eve, meanwhile, had begun rummaging through her bag and started to redress herself, pushing through the physical weakness she had to pay with for her master. Her hands were trembling. She wasn't quite sure if it was from weakness or fright. "Draco?" she squeaked.

The Vampire looked back at her. His eyes were a petrifying mixture of black and red, mostly red though.

"What's happening?" the girl whispered, shakily standing up.

"There is a Vampire close by," he growled. "But I will protect you, I promise. No harm will come to you. You must do everything I say."

"I already do."

The smallest of smiles appeared on Draco's face. "Yes, you do." He found his own clothes and managed to dress himself fully in a couple of seconds, his movements blurred, and left Eve momentarily jealous. If only she could dress that quickly. Draco went to the window again and inhaled deeply, his eyes closing and opening again as he exhaled, with a deep growl rumbling through his frame.

"What is it?" Eve whispered in a small voice. She edged ever so slightly closer to the window.

"There are… two of them," Draco ground out, his baritone voice dropping even lower.

Eve let herself gasp, her knees growing more unsteady still. "T-Two?" she repeated.

"They've picked up our scents, especially yours," he said. "You must wait here. I will destroy them."

There was not time for Eve to even open her mouth before Draco had gone. She found herself afraid for him. He was extremely powerful and strong, yes, but there were two other Vampires. What if they were powerful too? She rushed to the window, using the window sill to hold herself steady. It may have been a bad decision but she had to see Draco; there was no way she could not look. She pressed her fragile body to the frame of the window, peeking out onto the land in front of the cottage.

Two figures, one male and one female were approaching, out of the forest, sauntering as if they owned the place. Eve swallowed. Two Vampires. Turning her body, she slumped against the wall and slid down to the floor, afraid and alone. She brought her knees to her chest, her fingers interlocking around her legs to hold them securely against her. Her sharp ears listened keenly.

The two unknown Vampires, with the scent of Human filling their nostrils, stepped closer and closer to the concealed cottage. They would have not wasted a moment's time but only, they had caught the scent of another Vampire, and that could cause a bit of mishap for them.

Suddenly, Draco landed in a blur in front of the house, his body lowered in a defensive hunting crouch, his eyes frightening and his body trembling with a deep growl. He was mildly disappointed when neither of the two intruders flinched; if it had been any other creature, their hearts would have been in their mouths. He eyed them carefully. The male was shorter than him by about 2 inches with dark blue eyes, currently tinted with red, and dark golden brown hair. All in all, very handsome. The female was a grand beauty. She would be considered tall for a human woman, standing at 5"11 but she was still dwarfed by her male companion. She had the body of a goddess, pale and flawless skin, large breasts, wide hips and long shapely legs. Long blonde hair flowed around her, lighter than that of her companions, but still darker than Draco's. Her eyes were completely ruby red as his were.

The male's top lip lifted in threat to Draco, which he returned even more fiercely. The woman only smiled.

"What do you want here?" Draco demanded.

"We were just passing through, when we caught the scent of a rather rare Human. Thought we'd come and see," she answered coolly. "I'm Venus. This is Theyrir." She gestured to her male companion. Draco noticed that his ears were pointed; he was an Elf, or he used to be. Venus noticed his confused flicker. "I find the scent of Elf very… stimulating. Am I right in thinking an Elf is close?"

"She's _mine_," Draco growled. "You will leave now."

Venus raised an eyebrow. "You're a new Vampire aren't you? I can tell. My Theyrir here is rather young too. I only turned him about a year ago; I got a bit carried away when I fed from him one time. I've not tasted the blood of an Elf since."

Draco growled. "Are you deaf? I told you already, she belongs _to me_. Do you understand, or must I repeat myself again?"

He was playing a risky game. He was outnumbered and this female was not to be underestimated in the slightest. She was older than him, which meant she was probably stronger and faster, but then again, Draco was very powerful. She might not have been that much older; she could have been centuries older. With a Vampire it was impossible to tell.

Venus smirked. She was too quick for even Draco to see. One moment she was standing beside Theyrir; the next she was holding the large young man off the ground, her grip merciless around his neck. Theyrir did nothing. He didn't find the scent of Elf as delicious as his Sire – he found them wonderful, yes – but he was not obsessed over them. And he had been an Elf once. He wasn't sure if he could kill one of his own. He could kill ordinary Humans, but Elves were different.

Venus laughed, her fingers constricted until she heard a little crack but Draco refused to show pain. A Vampire was near invincible, except when it came to things like extremely powerful magic and other Vampires. "Theyrir, go get the Elf," Venus snapped. "You can play with her a bit, but leave most of her blood for me. I'm assuming it's a little girl?" she asked Draco.

Theyrir moved towards the house but Draco was not going to have that. He ripped at Venus' hand around his throat, and found that he was more than capable of freeing himself. Either she was not much older or he was incredibly strong for his age. Still holding her arm, he threw her with all his might at the forest before lunging after Theyrir.

His muscular arms locked around the Once Elf and he bite down into his neck as hard as he could, in hope of breaking Theyrir's spine. The blue eyed Vampire yelled in pain and struggled like a wild animal. Venus, meanwhile, picked herself up after being thrown through the trunks of several trees. She was furious.

A roar tore from her mouth and both males looked at her. It was quite a terrifying sight but neither of them felt fear. She stormed through the forest, any sticking out branches or anything in her way were broken or crushed by her goddess's body. Once out of the trees, she broke into a run and took Draco down to the ground, Theyrir with them.

Theyrir scrambled out of the fight and leapt gracefully up to the window where he caught the smell of the Human most strongly, while Draco and his Sire engaged in a brutal fight. The scent was so strong now. It was making his mind cloud with bloodlust, and the added smell of terror only made it worse. Theyrir took in a deep breath and smashed through the window without effort.

Eve screamed and threw herself away from the window, as broken glass showered over her. She flipped herself onto her back and scrambled on all fours away from the Vampire crouching where the window just was. Tears blurred her vision so she tried her best to blink them away. "Stay away from me," she whimpered.

Her back slammed against the wall but now her sight was clear. A part of her thought that she recognised this Vampire, and with the way he just looked at her gave the impression that he was also in deep thought. Eve sat there trembling, just waiting for something to happen. The Vampire tilted his head to the side. "I know you."

"What?" she squeaked.

"You are Evelina Luthwen," he said.

Eve shook her head. "No, no I'm not."

"You are. Your brother is Harry Luthwen, sent away to the Wizarding world."

"Who are you?"

"Theyrir, grandson of Capyli scholar Tomeno Elmar," he said. "You are Evelina Luthwen. I remember you."

Eve suddenly realised that she remembered him too from her younger days. The child Theyrir had always been close with his grandfather, and he had disappeared when he was thirteen years old… and now he was a Vampire.

"I'm not," Eve shook her head. "My name is 'Potter'. It always has been."

"My grandfather was the only one to unravel the truth and bring suspicions to life," Theyrir said. "Everyone believes that you arrived a normal Human and a spell was placed upon you to make you an Elf. The ceremony was not a spell being place but a spell being removed."

"What?" Eve whispered, with some of her fear being replaced with confusion and curiosity.

"I was the only one my grandfather told before he died. He told me that he had discovered that you were a trueborn Elf, not an ordinary Human as everyone thought. The ceremony was done by scholars even older than he and they passed away shortly after. My grandfather discovered that your great grandmother left Aseridia and transformed herself into a normal Human and that same spell continued down the generations. And then you were returned to your own people," Theyrir explained.

Eve couldn't believe what she was hearing. Everything that she wanted to be true was now true. She was now a true descendant of the First Elves and carried the same burden as the rest. She wasn't the odd one out any more. And that meant that Harry was an Elf too, only he still had the spell on him.

"But it doesn't matter anymore. Potter or Luthwen, you're going to die," Theyrir said, stepping slowly closer.

Eve hastily got to her feet, silently begging for her magic to come to her aid. It had saved her from rape; it could save her from death. But nothing stirred. She was not yet desperate enough for it to happen accidently, and if she got that state it would probably be too late. And nor was she focused or strong enough to summon it willingly.

Her only hope was Draco.

"Don't you dare," she tried to threaten. "You'll regret it."

"I don't think so," Theyrir snarled. "My mistress will rip apart that so called 'protector' of yours and then she shall feast upon you. Elf is her favourite."

"Is that how she got you?" Eve asked, trying to stall him. "You disappeared a few years ago. Is that what happened to you?"

Theyrir stopped. He lowered his head, looking to the ground. "Yes," he muttered. "She kept me as her Mate for a couple of years, and then one time she drank too much of my blood and changed me."

"Then you know you're not meant to harm another Vampire's Mate," Eve pleaded.

"Venus doesn't care much for traditions or what is proper. When she wants something, she gets it. You're lucky you didn't have to find that out the hard way."

"What did she do to you?" she edged towards the door slightly.

"At first, I tried refusing her, as beautiful as she was. I paid the price for that and soon learnt the obedience required for my survival," Theyrir admitted.

"I'm sorry," Eve whispered.

The Vampire opened his mouth but was kept silent by the scream of a woman outside, followed by the sound of a rip and sickening crack. Eve and Theyrir jerked their heads, knowing the outcome of the fight but both had very different reactions to it. Eve's spirits were instantly lifted and she was filled with hope. But then she realised she was still alone with a Vampire, who was not her Guardian.

"Venus," Theyrir gasped. Suddenly, with all interest in the Elf gone, he flew out of the window.

And to his death.

Eve hurried to the window but it was too late. Theyrir was no more intact that Venus. They were both ripped to shreds, surrounded in pools of their own blood, a far paler shade of red than that of a Human's. Draco seemed relatively unscathed, other than a few minor injuries. He turned his head up to the window, and Eve instantly shrunk away from the window. He did not look very happy. She hoped she'd done nothing wrong.

Within the blink of an eye, Draco was crouched in the window, the same way Theyrir had been. Eve jumped back instinctively. Her heart began pounding again. She lowered her head and put her gaze to the floor. Draco leapt down and crossed the room to her in less than a second.

"Are you all right?" he murmured.

"Only frightened," Eve admitted, her eyes flickering upwards.

Draco stepped forward and held the Elf close, pressing her face into his chest while her arms wrapped around his waist. "I was so scared," she whispered into his chest.

"You are always afraid," he did not say it in a mocking way at all. He said it softly, almost tenderly.

"Were you hurt?" she asked, looking up at him.

"No, I'm fine. I told you I would destroy them, and I did."

Eve didn't reply to that, instead she spoke of something else. "Theyrir told me something. He said that I am a trueborn Elf, and Harry too. There was no reason for him to be lying. I knew him as a Human."

"You can worry about that when we return to Rivermoor," Draco dismissed.

Eve contained her buzz of emotions, knowing he didn't care if she was Elf, or nymph, or fairy, as long as she was his. But it would be news to tell her family. It made her happy, very happy. "Okay," she nodded.

"Now, where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?" Draco purred.

Eve let out a sound that was half way between a gasp and a breathless laugh. Draco's hands, large and heavy, fixed on her hips and she started to tremble. He lifted her like a child, bringing his lips to hers and taking her in a rough kiss that hurt her mouth a bit. Wrapping her legs around him, tight enough to secure herself, Eve pushed back against his mouth as hard as she could; she knew Draco would not mistake it for her trying to give herself dominance. It was just because her strength was so puny compared to his – she had to push against him. His tongue pushed through her lips and took over her mouth.

She whimpered against him, as her fingers ran through his silky hair, down to his wide shoulders and gripped tightly. Breathing through her nose could only sustain her for so long. Draco released her when she pulled away and watched her lips closely as she took in a deep breath, without looking in him in the eye. Curling a finger under her delicate chin, Draco lifted her face to look up timidly at his, and he noticed how unsteady and nervous her gaze was. It pleased him. She knew her place.

With that finger, he pulled her head to his for a second kiss, while he used one arm to start to undress himself, slowly to tease her. He stepped out of his trousers and edged towards the bed, and releasing Eve from the kiss, he threw her down onto the mattress. With Vampiric speed, he reduced himself to nakedness before pouncing onto his Human love, his hands wandering ferociously under her clothes. Eve quietly yelped as her clothes were roughly torn from her body, luckily not ruined in the process. Her hands found the back of his neck. She pulled him down to kiss her, and Draco growled at her bold request but he kissed her anyway, as he made sure he loomed like a giant over her.

Eve pressed her little hands against his bare pectorals, whimpering quietly, begging to be forgiven. She was being forgetful. She was his Mate, submissive and obedient. And it was far, far too early to be pushing any boundaries.

A shiver ran down her spine as Draco cupped one of her small firm breasts and kneaded softly, but slowly grew rougher. He pinched the rosy peak between his thumb and forefinger. Eve's body reacted involuntarily, bucking wildly without warning, and a whimper squeezed through her lips. With each of his movements, Eve could feel the responses of his muscles, rippling, flexing, bulging and then softening. Lips numb and darkened, she turned her head away to breathe but Draco wasn't patient and kissed her once she'd inhaled once, and, caught off guard, she let out a little squeak.

Draco's hands left her breasts, to her mild discontent, and went in different directions. One hand moved upwards to cup her head in his palm, holding her steady and secure; the other trailed downwards, settling on her waist for a second and then he glided his arm underneath her and brought her closer to his body still, as good as his prisoner.

Lifting his head slightly, Draco freed her from the kiss and smiled as she took in a few deep breaths. He watched her for a few moments, and then lowered his head to his neck, feeling her shivering response so intimately, it may have well been his own. He kissed down to her pulsing vein, flowing with life that was all for him, but he was distracted for a moment as he felt the shuddering breath of his Mate rush past his ear. "Shh, shh, my beauty," he soothed her.

Her little heart fluttered against her ribcage, the frantic rhythm drumming through skin, bone and muscle into Draco's own chest. He shushed her again, the soft words murmured so delicately against her skin, the thin barrier between him and the liquid life. The Vampire took one sharp inhale and bit down swiftly. To his content, his Mate tilted her head to the side, offering her neck to him, submitting his needs and desires.

Eve could feel the blood being taken from her, weakening her physically even more. It made her increasingly nervous the more he drank because the weaker she came, the less chance her body would have if he fucked her, which he probably would do. She would need all the strength she could get in order to withstand his own colossal strength. Her arms wound around his neck, her little fingers played slightly with his hair, hoping calm her worries by distracting herself.

Draco carefully withdrew his fangs, licking his lips and then licking the wounds clean of any leftover blood, with a soft, low hum in his chest. "Such a good girl," he whispered. "Aren't you, my love?"

Eve didn't answer. She glanced up into his eyes for a second, smiling her answer meekly. Draco smiled back and kissed the tip of her nose. Then, he lifted his weight into his own arms, holding himself above her. He slid into her. Her hot, tight wetness greeted him home, and he was gifted with a beautiful sound from his little butterfly. Behind her fluttering eyelids, Eve was wide awake. Every feeling, every sense, every emotion was displayed before her clearer than crystal, flowing like fire through her blood.

Draco fucked her in a fairly gentle rhythm, more than enough to give them both wave after wave of pleasure, but not so rough that she would be hurt or worn. She had been good; she had done what he'd asked of her and managed to keep a Vampire at bay in time for him to save her. She hadn't even needed to use her magic.

"You all right?" he ground out, between thrusts.

Eve's eyes opened, caught off guard by his question; she would have thought it too early after gaining dominance for him to be so gentle and considerate of her. She had half been expecting him to just ride her hard and fast, leaving her bruised and battered afterwards. She nodded in answer to his question. In fact, she was more than all right.

She might have even said perfect.

**Now, the next chapter is up to you guys. Do you want another chapter of Draco and Eve or do you want to get back to the rest of the story. Whatever you might want to happen, then just ask. It's in your hands... pretty intense haha ;)**

**Love and hugs xxx**


	19. NOTE!

**I am going to be stopping this story because no one is reading or reviewing and I've lost inspiration from lack of ideas and support. **

**However I am going to be posting the original version to this story which I wrote some time ago. It'll be called the Vampire's Persephone and will follow the HP films, starting from the Goblet of Fire but will contain the same characters and some of the events but I will leave The Love of Shadows up so people can read it if they want to.**

**Love and hugs xxx**


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